Taken
by Glamagirl
Summary: Not everything is what meets the eye. Princess Stephanie McMahon is about to find out the hard way. Steph/Jericho
1. Chapter 1

I don't know where I got this idea from, but it has been bothering me for a while and I decided to give it a try.

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone in this story; they belong to Vince and to themselves.

*It's an AU story, set in a time and space unknown to me. It's kind of medieval, but not really.

*I don't hate Canada, nor do I think Canadians are savages, but Steph does…

*It'll be eventually a Jericho/Stephanie story

Let me know what you think!

~*~*~*~*~*~*

ViVa La ViDa

A soft breeze swept around her, carrying the sweet fragrance of wild flowers as she walked across the corridor. Her head was held up high and she moved gracefully as only one of her lineage could.

Around her, her ladies in waiting whispered and giggled at shared secrets as they followed her lead. Inside her private chambers she would have join them, but outside the comforts of her sanctuary, royal etiquette prevented her from such trivial manners.

Outside her chambers she was Princess Stephanie McMahon, daughter of the most powerful King there was and would ever be in all the seven Kingdoms and beyond.

In this warm summer day, curiosity had driven her out of her chambers and into court. She had heard two of her servants talking over as they prepared her bath, according to them, The Canadians would be making an appearance at court that same day.

She had never seen a Canadian before other that in books, but she had heard their tales of brutality. Books depicted them as long haired savages that would eat their babies alive when their harvest wouldn't produce enough food.

Her teacher Kane claimed that nobody knew exactly where they lived, as they were nomads. She had also learn that they had signed a treaty of peace fifty years ago with her Grandfather, the same one they violated over and over again by kidnapping woman and children from their Kingdom. They were deplorable woman beings.

"I… Princess, I don't want… to go there" stammered one of her three M's. It was the red-haired one, Maria and she was on the verge of tears.

"She's scared" giggled Mickie. "She thinks the Canadians will eat her alive" The brunette gestured to get Maria and the younger girl let out a sob.

Stephanie smirked. "My father, the King, would give me the head of anyone who dared touch one of my three M's" The Princess looked at them, Maria, Mickie and Melina. "There's nothing to be feared of. Take my hand and we'll enter together"

The girl took the Princess hand, not because she was convinced of her safety, but because she was taught to follow commands. She was born to serve and please. She was lucky the Princess was kind most of the time.

Stephanie entered the room via the second floor, not only because she could take a good glance at the whole room from above; but also because that way her father would not notice her presence. She was not afraid of filthy Canadians, but her father would not be pleased with her being there.

The session had already begun, and a handful of fair haired men stood in front of the King's Throne. There were three of them, and Stephanie watched in fascination as they were accompanied by one woman. Never had she heard or seen a woman pleading a case in court. Her father must be fuming at the audacity of them.

She leaned forward to the balcony, but could not hear what they were saying. So she just watched.

They were as depicted in books, only that they were covering their torsos while in books they were always shirtless. They were all wearing colorful tights and black boots. One of them was even armed.

"Melina, tell me about them" she asked one of the M's and motioned her to come closer. The exotic girl had a way of knowing everything. Rumor had it that her mother was a famous sorcerer in her country down south. Stephanie didn't believe such nonsense.

"They are all great warriors and members of the council that rule their people, even the woman. The tall one holding the spear, that's Edge. He's a womanizer. I heard he likes to kidnap girls to rape them, others say he enamors them and they escape with him deep into the forest or wherever they live"

Stephanie observed the man, he had a huge grin on his face as he eyed around the room. She couldn't visualize any woman with any sense wanting to escape with a group of savages.

"He's creepy" murmured Maria.

"The one besides the woman, his name is Christian, Edge's brother. He's known as The Instant Classic but I'm not sure why. What I know is this; their parents raised them with blood instead of milk, that's why they are so ruthless in battle"

"By the Gods" cried Maria.

"Give me a break" Snickered Mickie. "What about the woman?"

Stephanie looked over at the blonde woman. There were a few strikes of pink in her hair; she had never seen a woman wearing pants.

"Natalya. She's part of a huge family of warriors, the best in their country. Her father, disappointed by not having a son to continue the family tradition, trained her since she was a mere girl. She's feared among her people"

"And the one speaking to my father?" Stephanie asked glancing at the man. His hair was a platinum blonde; it cascaded in soft curls down his back. She could not take a good look at him because his back was to her.

"That one is Jericho, first ever undisputed champion. Some people call him The Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rolla, whatever that is. He's just as ruthless as the other too, if not worse"

"I don't like Canadians, they scare me" Whined Maria.

"I like them just fine" Mickie said leaning forward to take a better look at them. "I wouldn't mind if they take me away…"

Maria gasped and Melina struck Mickie in the head, she retreated as realization hit her. That simple commentary could cost her head, it was considered as an act of treason.

The three M's stood still in expectation. Waiting for the Princess too lash out. She didn't. She was way too engrossed with the Canadians and didn't seem to have listened.

"Is he the leader?"

Melina looked at her two companions before responding, she sat with them to give them some comfort. "If they would have a leader, I guess it would be him. But they govern themselves by Council"

Stephanie watched the four foreigners, but her eyes kept wandering back to the one called Jericho.

'Jericho' she whispered to herself. Even the name was intriguing. If he would only turn around so she could see his face.

The other three were smirking and nodding, apparently pleased with what Jericho was telling her father, she was beyond intrigued. Her father seemed about to explode in anger.

She was about to ask Melina why where they here when Jericho turned around and looked straight at her.

She backed up and got out of sight as soon as she was able too. One thing was to watch the savages from afar and another very different was to lock eyes with one of them. She felt flushed and her hand trembled lightly.

She brushed the feeling away. She was a McMahon and McMahons knew no fear.

She looked around and saw the three M's sitting close together. Maria was pouting and the other two seemed deep in thought. None of them had seen her freak out and she was glad.

"Come on, I'm tired of looking at those nasty savages"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them :-)

Note: There would be a few random appearances of past and present wrestlers in this story so watch out; some of them are not named due the fact that Stephanie doesn't know them.

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Princess Stephanie McMahon approached The King's private chambers. Regal, The Lord Chamberlain was standing right outside the door, blocking the entrance. She could hear from inside her father yelling and trashing the room and she knew he was in a rotten mood.

Whatever the Canadians came to say did not pleased The King. It only increased her curiosity.

"Let me pass" She commanded at Regal.

"The King doesn't want to be interrupted; he's in the middle of a very important meeting" He said with a sneer in his uptight face.

"I don't care, I want in" Stephanie crossed her arms across her chest and looked at the snotty man in defiance. He thought to mucho of himself, but at the end of the day he was just a lackey.

The old man had the imprudence to open his mouth to reply to her, but he was cut short when the door behind him opened all of a sudden. He moved aside and Shane, The Crown Prince got out.

He walked right pass them in a hurry.

Stephanie gave Regal a contempt glance as he entered The King' Chamber and shut the door right behind him.

If she wanted a scoop of what was going on inside she had no choice but to follow her brother down the corridor. The three M's saw her taking off and followed her too. They were never far behind.

"Shane" She broke into a fast trot until reaching him.

"Not now Stephanie" her brother accelerated his pace and left her behind. She stopped in her tracks and stomped her feet.

"Melina"

The black haired girl rushed to The Princess side. "Your Highness" she gave a little bow but Stephanie gestured her to stop. She was not in the mood for pleasantries.

"What's going on here?"

"I'm not really sure" Melina replied, her eyes glued to the floor.

"Well then go and find out"

Melina bowed again and disappeared into the distance.

The princess had an uneasy feeling that couldn't shake away. She was disconcerted with the Canadians appearance at court and why, for that matter had it bothered The King so much.

It had to be something of great importance for him to call in assembly both The Crown Prince and The Lord Chamberlain.

Her train of thought was interrupted when she heard someone giggling, she looked back and saw Mickie waving and smiling through the window.

"What are you doing Mickey James?" she asked in annoyance. Here she was, worrying about things that really mattered and the girl was oblivious to it all.

The petit brunette backed away from the window and smiled guiltily at the Princess. Maria's eyes were huge sockets in her face as she worried about her friend.

If it weren't for the fact that she was fond of the girl she would have her whipped.

Stephanie peeked through the window and saw a couple of apprentices looking up. One of them cowered when he saw her and hurried to finish his training, the other one, the weird one with all the tattoos waved at her.

Stephanie looked back at Mickie, her eyebrow raised in query. "Do you think about anything other than boys?" She started to make her way toward her chambers; she wanted to take a bath and get rest.

"Sometimes" laughed Mickie as she followed the Princess.

Stephanie had to smile. Out of her three M's, Mickie was the more joyful. Her laugher was contagious and her high spirit always lifted hers.

"What about you Maria?" She eyed the red-head out of curiosity.

"No your Highness… I mean yes Your Highness, I mean… I think about plenty of things"

"Anyway" Stephanie got tired of the child-talk and her mind went back to The Canadians. She wondered how long it will take Melina to gather the information.

"Mickey, go find Professor Kane and ask him to give you that book, the one about Canadians"

"Yes Your Highness" The livid girl made an exaggerated reverence before trotting in direction to the classroom, the teacher was always there.

Once Mickie was out of sight Stephanie regretted sending her off, she was apt to get entertained on her way and delay her chore.

"Maria" She motioned the remaining M to walk by her side. "What did you think about the Canadians, were they what you expected?"

She wanted to know what impression she had on the group; she sure had been entranced by them.

"Very much Your Highness, nothing more than a bunch of brutes" The young one shivered at the memory. "I hope their business here is done so we don't have to see the likes of them again"

The Princess nodded but remained silent the rest of their way to her room. She couldn't shake the memory of those cold blue eyes staring at hers for the briefest of moments.

Once inside her sanctuary she bathed and waited, it seemed all her life was spent waiting. The first one to arrive was Mickie with the book. Before going to bed she took a quick glance at it, half expecting to find the answer to her questions. But there was nothing there than what she already knew, she went to sleep.

That night she dreamt a terrible dream. She saw her father down on his knees, pleading to a faceless statue sitting on his throne while her brother lurked in the shadows. She saw a distorted version of herself, lost in a haunted forest as shadows armored like the sun hunted her down. She saw villages burning and kids crying as their parents rotted in their beds. All that she saw while floating around, and at the end of it she saw her three M's bundled together in the dark, calling to her…

"Stephanie"

She tried to follow that voice.

"Princess…" a hand shook her awake.

She opened her eyes abruptly, her heart beating hard in her chest as a cold sweat ran down her back.

"Princess" The voice whispered once more.

She tried to focus her eyes and saw that Melina was the one calling to her. She sighed in relief, taking comfort in the fact that it was just a bad dream.

"What is it?" Still felling disoriented, she looked around the room. It was still dark outside and she wondered why Melina would wake her up in the middle of night.

"I have your information"

It took a while for her brain to register but when it did she sat up straight, taking Melina's hands in hers. "Tell me"

Melina squeezed Stephanie's hands. "Tonight culminates life as you know it" For making such a bold statement Melina's face was stoic.

Still uneasy from her dream Stephanie swallowed hard. "Don't talk in riddles and explain yourself" She hated when she started talking all apocalyptic.

"Well, the Canadians came demanding The King to evacuate a plot of land The Kingdom is using for training facilities. It appears the treaty of peace the Old King signed with them marked a frontier between The Kingdom and their land. By law that lot belongs to them"

"This is all a quarrel for a worthless piece of land?" Stephanie asked confused.

"Is not only about the land, it is believed this is all an excuse to break the treaty and declare war with us"

"They don't have the manpower to declare war on us, that's ridiculous"

"Ridiculous or not, the thing is that your brother sent Hunter and his acolytes to their camp. They attacked at night and took one woman hostage"

"What!" Stephanie sprung to her feet. Why would Shane do that? And why would Hunter participate in such a stupid antic a few weeks before their wedding? "Bring me my robe"

Attacking a Canadian camp and taking a hostage was a serious violation to the treaty, one the Canadians wouldn't take lightly. Did her father knew about that?

Melina left briefly and came back with The Princess' robe; she helped her into it and spoke again.

"That's not all; as we speak, there are two Canadians at the court room demanding a word with The King"

Stephanie put on her slippers and hurried to the door. Life inside the walls of the castle contained little excitement, and she was not about to miss the biggest of it all. When she noticed the exotic young woman wasn't following her she turned around.

"What are you waiting for?"

Melina bowed and followed The Princess out the door.

Stephanie forgot all decorous conduct she had to follow being The King's daughter. She was in a hurry so she ran through the intricate passageways of the castle. She knew by heart every turn and every step leading to the court room so it was no trouble finding her way in the darkness.

The two women ran swiftly until reaching the entrance to the court room, once there they stopped breathless. She could hear a small commotion taking place inside the historic room and she didn't want to lose any more time standing outside. Stephanie decided to enter once again through the second floor. She motioned Melina to be quiet and they both sneaked in.

Once inside the two bent down as not to be seen by the occupants bellow, they peeked down.

The King was the big absent. The Crown Prince sat in his place while The Lord Chamberlain stood beside him. There were two young warriors standing at each side of them.

At the other side stood Jericho, imposing and looking very pissed while an impossible tall and muscular blonde she didn't recognized stood behind him. She made a mental note to ask Melina who that was. This time she could hear clearly because their tones of voices were high.

"… and we can't wake the King just because you lost one of your whores" Shane said in a bored tone of voice.

"First of all, she's not a whore, she's a member of The High Council; and second we didn't lose her, one of your thugs took her away after attacking our camp" Jericho spoke. It was the first time she heard a Canadian talking, she had half expected them to speak a dialect or something like that.

"The Kingdom doesn't…" That was Regal.

"I'm not talking to you assclown, I'm talking to junior over there" Jericho replied not taking his eyes off Shane. "You know clear enough that was a violation to the treaty, and I demand the release of her before this reaches consequences you will not be able to handle"

Stephanie was in shock by hearing Jericho talking in such disrespectful manner to The Crown Prince and The Lord Chamberlain. After The King, they were the two most important figures in all The Kingdom and nobody talked like that to them without suffering the consequences.

"Is that a treat?" Shane stood up from the throne, he seemed enraged.

"It's a promise kiddo" Jericho took a step forward.

"You know, I can have both your heads just for that"

"I'll like to see you try"

Shane laughed and sat back. "Look Jericho, we don't have your woman. If someone attacked your camp and you weren't able to protect it that's not our problem. Maybe you should have stayed hidden in your cave. Now, if you'll excuse me I have very important things to worry other than a lost savage woman"

With that Shane stood up and left the room.

"Tell your king the treaty is done" Jericho said fuming and turned around to leave.

"Cody, Ted why don't you show these… gentlemen their way out" That was Regal he stood there as everybody left the room. When they did he left too.

Stephanie sat down on the floor, taking in the events of the night. There were a lot of things running through her head.

"Do they really have this woman?" Stephanie whispered. There was something about the room that prevented her from speaking out loud. Maybe it was just habit

"Yes they do. Down in the dungeon"

The Princess sighed and closed her eyes. It was all messed up. Why would her brother wanted to take a savage hostage if not to cause a confrontation with them, and all over a lot of land. "I want to see her"

~*~*~*~*

Stephanie had expected to find it difficult to sneak out of the castle under the circumstances, but it had been easy enough.

She walked under the hood of her robe, using the darkness of the night as her ally. A sleepy Mickie followed her close behind. She had chosen to take her along because out of the M's she was the only one that hadn't been down the dungeon.

The few times she had been down there without Shane had been with Melina. There was also one time she had made Maria accompany her as a cruel jest. The poor soul was unable to sleep alone for a week.

After seeing Maria so distressed, Mickie had been begging her to take her down the dungeon, the girl had a taste for the macabre.

The Undertaker was guarding the entrance to the dungeon, as always. If there was a man in all The Kingdom that intimidated The Princess was him. There was something about his eyes that triggered alarm in her; he had that effect on her since she was a little girl.

His back was resting against the gate, a hat hiding his face. She was glad she didn't have to look into those eyes.

"Get lost kid" He said without looking up.

Stephanie searched inside the pocket of her robe and took out a ring embedded in diamonds; her father had given it to her for her twenty first birthday. Holding her breath involuntarily, she extended her hand for him to take it.

He took it, his gloved hand brushing her fingers lightly. He examined the small object and after finding it satisfactory he opened the gate for them to pass.

They hurried inside and The Death Man Walking, as Shane called him, closed the gate behind their backs.

Mickie was unusually quiet and Stephanie didn't urge any kind of conversation. The dungeon was a horrid place, it was damp, gloomy and it reeked of death. She couldn't even begin to imagine how anyone could bear to be imprisoned there.

They walked hand in hand down the stairs, Mickie holding a torch to illuminate their way. Their footsteps echoed loudly in the emptiness of the cave, and Stephanie counted 619 steps before they reached an alleyway.

The narrow corridor had small dungeons at each side. The duo of young women walked until they found the one they were looking for. It hadn't been hard for them to find her; she was the only person help prisoner at the time.

Mickie put the torch in a hook next to her dungeon so they could take a good look. It was basically the first time they were going to see up close and personal a barbarian.

Stephanie observed the woman a bit disappointed. She had expected to see Natalya, the one she saw at court, but instead she saw this petit blonde sitting with her knees hugged to her chest. She didn't look up to them.

"She's so pretty" mumbled Mickie. "What's your name?"

The blonde remained still.

"I don't think she understands" Mickie said reaching inside her pocket. She took out an apple and offered it to the savage.

"Yes she does, I heard one of them talking just fine" Stephanie got closer to the gate to take a better look at the captive. As the other one, this one was also wearing pants, leather pants. "The one they call Jericho" Stephanie said the name to see if there was a reaction from the woman.

Her tactic proved effective. The blonde looked up and stared directly at the Princess eyes.

The gaze was full of hatred, but the Princess held it. If there was something to be said about these creatures was that they had courage; either that or they were beyond proud.

"We brought you some food" Mickie had indeed brought food; her pockets were full of fruit, bread and cheese. She also had a flask full of water. "Take it"

The blonde directed her gaze to Mickie, and after a long consideration she took the offered goods.

Both Mickie and Stephanie observed in silence as the woman ate. To Stephanie, these savages never seen before until that day seemed all too human, no longer a picture in a book. She couldn't help but to take pity on her.

"Princess?"

Stephanie startled as she heard him calling for her. It was Hunter, her betrothed. She hadn't heard him come. He was accompanied by Batista and Orton, better known as The Animal and The Viper.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"She's feeding the savage" Orton replied from behind. "Women…" he snickered. She didn't like either of her future husband acolytes.

Hunter laughed softly and took the Princess hand to gave it a small kiss. "My Stephanie has a good heart, but this is not a place for a lady such as you"

"I just wanted to see if it was true you were holding a Canadian down here…"

"Stephanie, you don't have to worry by such affairs, that's why we are here. Now, let me accompany you back to the castle…"

"What about the woman?" Stephanie asked, not really wanting the blonde to remain there. He had said it himself; the dungeon was no place for a woman, not even a savage.

"Don't worry; this is really an upgrade to her. And she's got Batista and Orton to take her of her. Are you going to take care of her?" He asked the men but didn't look at them.

"You bet" Replied Orton. Batista remained a silent observant.

The Princess looked back at the two men. She had a bad feeling about the whole thing, but didn't say anything. She wanted to trust Hunter, in a few weeks they were going to marry and thus her life would pass from her father to this man.

"Come on" Hunter smiled and offered his hand to Stephanie. She smiled back and took it.

"I don't like these escapades of yours. It's very dangerous for a woman to wander unaccompanied at night"

"Fortunately for me that you found me" Stephanie said in her mellowest voice, but deep inside her being a feeling of dread started to consume her. She didn't like this at all. But she smiled and followed his lead. Orton, Batista and The Canadian remained back there.

TBC

~*~*~*~*~*

In case you were wondering the Canadian captive is Trish and Jericho's companion is Test.

I almost forgot to tell you, the characters in this story are supposed to be younger, let's say ten years younger just for the sake of it (with a few exceptions being everyone under 29, like Nattie, she's 26 and I don't want her to be 16 in this story so lets let her keep her current age) I know it's kind of weird and irrelevant but bear with me lol


	3. Chapter 3

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Lack of sleep made Princess Stephanie overlook her manners, she forgot the graceful movements that marked her day to day walking as soon as she spotted Shane in the stables, she ran towards him.

"Shane!"

It was still shy of noon of what promised to be a beautiful day. The sun shone brightly over a cloudless blue ski and a light breeze caressed her skin lightly as she made her way across the yard.

"Shane!"

The Crown Prince was waiting for Festus to prepare his horse, but when he heard his sister calling up to him he looked up.

Shane welcomed her with a smile, he was content. In fact, everyone at the castle had woken up in a fabulous mood; the Canadians had left without giving battle.

The High Priest Michaels thanked the Gods for smiling on them once again, top chef Rockie thanked The King for his wits and a few warriors thanked Hunter for his bloodless victory. Fact was, everybody had an opinion on the matter and every corner in the castle felt alive with whispers and celebration.

Stephanie didn't join in their frenzy. If they were really gone why was her father enclosed with his advisors since the wee hours of the morning?

The news came at dawn when the warriors sent to strike a second attack on the Canadians came back earlier, claiming the camp had been abandoned; the savages had retreated the way they came without their promised retaliation.

"Where are you going?" She asked out of breath as she neared him. He was getting ready to take off.

"I'm going out to see for myself if those cowards really left for good"

"Can't you send someone instead?" The Princess had an ominous feeling that something awful was on the verge of happening and she feared for her brother's safety. She didn't believe the Canadians were really gone; it could be an ambush for all they knew and he was walking right into it.

It was no secret that the Canadians held no love for the Kingdom, and Shane could easily be a target for retaliation. Those savages were known for being ruthless and merciless in battle and the Crown Prince was not a skilled warrior.

He shook his head as he stretched. "Don't worry, Hunter and his jackals are going with me just in case those savages are trying to trick us into a trap, I wouldn't expect anything less from that lot"

"What about the woman?" she asked. "Is it necessary to keep her in the dungeon?"

"She's a prisoner Stephanie; where else should we keep her?"

"The tower for instance" Anything was better than the dungeon. Her night had been tormented by images of the gloomy place and the woman in it, she hadn't slept at all.

Shane chuckled taking a glance at her. "And then what, make her into one of your maids?"

"Of course not, but if she's an important member of the Canadian government we should treat her accordingly"

"There's no such thing as a Canadian government. They are just a bunch of barbarians with airs of grandeur. Their so called Council is a joke not to be taken seriously. If she didn't wanted to get caught in the affairs of war she should have stayed hidden in that waste land of them"

"If we are at war is because we started it by cowardly attacking them in their sleep and taking what could be their weakest member hostage" she was being bold, but she couldn't help it.

He considered for a while, not taking offense in her little ramble. "War is a very sensitive matter in which women shouldn't delve; I don't expect you to understand. It's a horrid subject for your tender heart to bear"

He kissed her forehead before mounting his horse.

"I don't want you to worry about it. Go and enjoy this victorious day, it would be a shame to waste it inside those old walls" With that he took off and left her behind.

Stephanie didn't like their situation at all. Shane was right in something, war was a horrid thing, and she wished The Kingdom wouldn't get involved in one.

But what was done couldn't be undone. The deed was sealed and they could only hope the savages were really gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Stephanie dipped her head under water, letting it take her in completely in its coolness. Going to the spring always gave her a sense of peace and calmness that she couldn't find anywhere else, and with her mind going overdrive it was exactly what she needed.

With the threat of the savages apparently gone, life inside the castle continued with its same tedious routine. Servants continued their duties with unusual joy, thankful that they didn't have a war to worry about.

Other than that life went on as if nothing out of the ordinary occurred the previous night; as if there wasn't a defenseless woman imprisoned in the pit of the dungeon while her brother looked around for Canadians to continue a war that haven't even begun.

It had driven her mad so she left the castle with the three M' and a grand total of two apprentice warriors. They all went to the spring.

Her body was still immersed under water as she held her breath as long as she could. Her ears were starting to ring loudly in her head and her lungs were crying in protest, but before she could decide for herself to surface she was pulled out of the water.

"Are you trying to drown yourself?"

Taking a sweet breath of fresh air, Stephanie wiped water out of her eyes and looked at Maria. The red head was looking at her expectantly with her huge green eyes.

Stephanie didn't responded; she just let her body fall back idly so it could float. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the water embracing her body in solace as the sun soaked her with its warm.

She wondered if Shane had made it back to the castle yet. The fact that he was accompanied by the best warrior in the entire Kingdom didn't give peace to her heart.

Damn those Canadians and the day they decided to show up in court.

As if from far away, she could hear Maria talking. They weren't deep into the spring so she turned around to float on her stomach. She was supporting the weight of her body with her arms to see her younger M chatting with Mickie.

"No I haven't"

"Come on, just admit it" replied Mickie in her usual amused tone of voice.

"Admit what?" Stephanie asked curious.

"Don't listen to her your Highness, is not true!" the young one said dismayed.

Stephanie smiled; Mickie enjoyed tormenting the girl and making her uncomfortable around her. She had even participated in countless occasions just for the fun of doing something.

"She kissed one of the apprentices" Mickie confided much to the dismay of Maria.

She looked at the young woman as she hid her face behind her hands; she was shaking her head in denial.

Knowing Mickie as she did, Stephanie knew the whole thing was probably a fallacy to mortify the red head. She laughed it off and let them continue their girl talk.

She had had her fair share of kisses with Hunter, and they weren't that great as she had once hoped. The trivial theme didn't interest her a bit, but at least it cleared her mind off other matters.

She looked over at the spot where Miz and Morrison, her warrior guards were supposed to be. They weren't there, but knowing those two they were probably chasing lizards or maybe some unlucky maiden that happened to be around.

"So who did you kissed?" Stephanie asked out of boredom. She could hear Mickie giggling.

"Princess" That was Melina, she had been silent ever since leaving the castle. It hadn't struck her as odd as the girl tended to be mysterious and retreaded at times.

"What is it?" Stephanie asked worried for the young woman, she didn't looked too good and her face was way too pale. She sat on the rocky surface to take a better look at her.

Melina, with her wet jet black hair cascading down her back rose out of the water. At that moment she seemed like a vision, like one of those Aztec princesses of long ago she liked to read so much about. Wasn't she taken out of that mysterious land down south as a child? She couldn't remember as she had been a child herself.

Melina took from her undergarments a small dagger embedded in rubies; it shone a hypnotizing bright red Stephanie had never seen before.

The Princess was taken aback as to why one of her ladies in waiting was armed with such a thing; she just looked stupefied as the exotic girl approached her with it.

She heard Maria gasp and Mickie muttering something unintelligible.

Melina knelt at her side and put the dagger in her hands. The Princess took it as if in a trance.

"It's time. You'll have to run, run as fast as you can and don't you ever look back" it came out as a whisper.

"What…?" Stephanie asked; she had no idea what was going on or what to do with the dagger for that matter.

"They are here, and they came for you, don't let them get you"

"Who's here, the Canadians?" Stephanie asked in apprehension, looking around for Miz and Morrison. They were still nowhere to be found. She was going to have them whip by…

"By the Gods" cried Maria as a young warrior they had never seen before appeared in the same spot her warriors were supposed to be.

His hair was the color of the rainbow and he was clad all in black and ready for battle. He didn't seem Canadian but he didn't seemed friendly either. He just stood there, glancing over at them.

"Go!" Melina screamed and yanked the Princess to her feet. She pushed her, urging her to go away but Stephanie stood frozen, her feet glued to the ground.

"I'm not going to leave you here" She said looking at her three M's, Maria was already crying.

"Forget about us, if we don't meet again in this life we'll do it in the next one. Now go" Melina said more firmly as a woman joined the warrior.

This one they had all seen before. It was the same one they had seen at court the other day, the one called Natalya.

"Uh oh" Mickie breathed in.

That was the last thing the Princess heard before Melina pushed her away once more. This time her feet responded and she moved.

That was how Princess Stephanie McMahon, daughter of the most powerful King in all the seven Kingdoms and beyond began her race into the forest.

She ran barefoot and clad only in her wet undergarments as if the devil himself was at her heels. She ran into the forest aimlessly, not knowing her way around but not daring to stop. She ran without looking back, until her legs hurt and her ability to breathe ceased, but she kept running nonetheless.

Somewhere not too far behind her she heard one of them laughing, the sound was unbearable. Images of the savages cannibalizing their enemies came in mind; she could imagine them committing the most brutal crimes as they laughed and danced, just as in the books.

She was terrified, but determined not to let them catch her alive. She was not going to suffer the same fate the captive in the dungeon was having or one much worse.

She stopped running and turned around, waiting. She was breathless and her chest was hurting. She held Melina's dagger tight in her hand.

"Come on little girl" Came a mocking voice.

She heard the taunting voice before she saw him, and when he appeared in front of her, silent as a ghost she almost fainted. It was the womanizer, the rapist. He was shirtless and wearing red tights. The spear was in his hand just as it had been at court. He was also grinning wildly.

"I'm not going to hurt you… even if you made us run" he ran his tongue across his teeth as he gazed at her with his huge crazy eyes.

Stephanie put the dagger against her neck, but she wasn't sure if she could be able to carry on with it.

"Stay away" Her voice came shaky and low.

The man tilted his head, the grin still plastered on his face. His eyes were shinning in amusement but Stephanie didn't care. He didn't move towards her and she could be content with that, at least for now.

She started to retreat, in her mind she knew she was being naïve, if the savage decided to do so he could easily grab her and carry her away, but his lack of movement encourage her to hope.

So she kept moving backwards, and he stood motionless, grinning.

"Gotcha" She collapsed against a solid body that quickly yanked the dagger out of her hand.

She yelped and tried to run away but the savage was quicker, he swirled her around and lifted her off her feet. He threw her over his shoulder as she kicked and punched him, trying to break free.

"Let me go, you filthy savage!" She yelled at him, the other one with the spear was laughing.

"Don't make me tie you up" The man replied unaffected by her attempts on breaking free.

As Stephanie dangled over the Canadian's shoulder he started to walk deeper into the forest. She tried to think a way to escape but she knew it would be almost impossible to do so; so she did the first thing that came to mind, she scratched the man's naked back hard enough to draw blood. She would have bitten him but she didn't want to get sick.

The savage gasped and threw her to the ground; she came down with a thud, she had never been so mistreated in her life.

"The little brat scratched me" The man complained to the other one.

She looked up and saw him, the man with the hunting cold blue eyes. Jericho.

"Go get me the rope" He commanded the other blonde as he reached for his back, checking on the damage done.

Stephanie remained in the ground; her legs failed her and wouldn't help her to stand up. It was over for her, they had taken her and would do whatever they wanted to her, rape her, kill her, eat her. She just wished for Melina's dagger to finish her life with some dignity.

TBC

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Thanks for all the reviews!

I made Jeff into a Canadian supporter, a turn over. There are going to be more of them.

Renna33 - I'm glad you are enjoying the produce of my twisted mind :-)

TakerTakeMe –Haha, you got it right! Savage-sexy Jericho took The Princess!

Takers Dark Lover, those were supposed to be Punk (the tattooed one that waved at Steph) and Evan. Steph was in the dungeon out of curiosity and Hunter was 'checking' on his captive (he was the one who took Trish away along with Randy and Batista) and when he found his future bride down there he escorted her back to the castle.

DarkZoul – Glad you like this!

Y2JLover – They could be… haha


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews! I appreciate them to no end.

Well, here's an inside on the Canadians. Are they really that bad or is Stephanie a bit over-dramatic? I'll let you judge. Hope you like this one :-p

Oh! Did anyone see Chris sliding down that pole at the Bonnie Show? Damn!! And he was looking yummy at RAW… as usual!

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Stephanie knew her situation was precarious. She was no longer the Princess in her father's castle, but a simple captive in a mysterious land of doom. Here she was no one, she was alone, she had been degraded into nothing by a bunch of barbarians.

She was sitting over an extensive canopy of green grass that covered an open field, her hands tied secure behind her back as night threatened to come. She hadn't moved an inch since her captors had put her down.

Upon taking her, the Canadians carried her ahorse out of the Kingdom's domain. They rode as fast as the wind, pass the forest, pass huge mountains and further than she had ever been.

They rode nonstop for hours, but when dusk began to creep in they ceased their progress and dismounted in a valley near a river. She dreaded having to spend the night with the savages, so far away from the comforts of her chamber and her beloved maids.

The rope that held her hands together was cutting unmercifully on the tender skin of her wrists and the riding had left her body aching all over. Other than that she was unharmed.

From the spot she was sitting, she was taking furtive glances at them, expecting them to lash their Canadian rage on her any time now. So far they didn't give a sign of doing such a thing. In fact, none of them were paying any attention to her. They had lighted a fire and were sitting around it, palavering in hushed voices as they put together a quick soup.

It was the perfect time for her to escape. They were too distracted with their mischievous scheming to notice her. Yet, she didn't dare to move. The odds were against her and she wouldn't know where to go. Even if she found it in herself to try to get away they would get her. They were faster, stronger and probably knew their way around.

So she just sat there, a silent observer to the odd rituals of the four savages that had taken her away.

Night was approaching and a chilly breeze preceded the darkness that came with it. She was cold and unable to fight off her shuddering. She was only wearing her undergarments; the thin fabric that had long ago dried on her skin didn't offer much of a protection for a cold night. She felt over exposed.

Not wanting to get their attention, she shifted her position quietly. She tried to adjust her underskirt so it would cover her a bit more. It was hard to do so with her hands tied but she tried her best to be stealthy.

Her efforts were in vain though. Not only she was unable to cover much of her legs with the scarce fabric, but much to her dismay, she had drawn Jericho's attention to her.

When he looked over at her she averted her eyes away and sent a silent prayer to the Gods. She prayed for him to continue his business with the other ones and leave her alone, she also prayed for the Gods to give her the strength she needed to endure her burden as best as she could. It was not to be so, at least the first part.

From the distance, she could feel his eyes burning a hole through and after a few seconds of expectation she saw with the corner of her eye as he stood up from his spot beside the fire and made his way to her.

She was terrified.

Would that be it for her? The rational part of her brain wanted to think that they wouldn't harm her, not if it hurt their chances of getting their woman back. But there was another part of her brain, a huge part that remained her that these were savages creatures capable of the most heinous acts imaginable. She had to expect the worse to happen.

She changed her prayer and asked the Gods to grace her with a quick, clean death.

He made it to her side and her body tensed in anticipation when he reached down to her. She felt his warm fingers wrap around her arm as he pulled her to her feet.

She stood immobile next to him as he studied her. He was standing close enough to make any respectable lady uncomfortable; his body was almost touching hers and his eyes were insolently roaming her body.

She casted her eyes down and when she did her blood froze in her veins. Melina's dagger was in one of his hands. It was still glittering that hypnotizing red she had noticed back at the spring and she wondered if she would die entranced by it.

With the sharp edge of it Jericho lifted her shin up, forcing her terrified eyes to meet his cold ones. Her heart stopped its beating for a second and she feared it would never continue its function. She was expecting him to thrust the dagger forward, encrusting it into her throat and thus ending her short life in that forsaking land.

She could see the image clear on her mind, the savages feasting of her blood as it gushed out of her broken body; only the Gods knew what else they would do to her once the body was drained.

"If you try anything funny, I'll tie you upside down to a tree" His voice was low in his throat and his soft breath caressed her skin into gooseflesh.

She heard one of the other Canadians snickering as Jericho ran a taunting finger down her naked arm, slowly reaching to where the rope chastised her skin. Much to her shame, her body betrayed her and trembled beneath his electric touch.

He moved the dagger from under her shin and reached behind her to cut the rope that bind her hands together. His eyes never left hers and she found herself unable to look away.

Once free of her bondage, Stephanie released a breath she was unconsciously holding. Her heart had reassumed its beating and she wondered if it had ever stopped.

Her wrists were raw and sore, and when she was about look down to check on them Jericho grabbed her by the arm and guided her to the others.

He made her sit down between Edge and Natalya, and she had to back away when Edge leaned into her to sniff at her hair like the animal that he was. Jericho sat down opposite to her.

"Touchy" Edge mumbled as he served the mysterious contents of a saucepan into smaller pots. He passed them around and even gave one to her. She didn't take it so he just put it in the ground without a second thought.

Rubbing her wrist, Stephanie tried to block away the fact that she was surrounded by them. There was no escape to this situation. She just stared into the fire, taking solace it its warmth while they dined in silence.

"Aren't you going to eat that?" asked Jericho glancing at her.

She didn't answer him, she had yet to speak a word since leaving the forest and she wasn't planning on doing it anytime soon. Besides, as hungry as she was she would rather starve to death than eat whatever they were eating. That thing could be anything at all and she was not going to risk it.

"She probably thinks it's the unborn child of Natalya" laughed the multicolored haired one as Edge, the rapist laughing buffoon grunted at her side.

"My _what_? It's just hare you silly girl" Natalya said rolling her eyes. "I mean, seriously, what kind of people do you take us for?"

The man with multicolored hair shrugged. "Savages. She's been feed up by the books"

Stephanie eyed the man. He was not a Canadian but a turn over, maybe from a small village judging by his accent. Shane used to say that if there was something worse than a Canadian it was a turn over; the likes of them joined the Canadians willingly, giving their life and arms to them. They were traitors to the Crown and deserved the worse type of death.

"What books?" Edge asked between bits.

"Their so called history books" replied Jericho and Stephanie turned her attention to him. His eyes were glistering as he looked at her. By the light of the fire they didn't looked as cold as they had moments ago. "Books full of misleading lies and half truths. I'll lend you one when we get home. It makes for an interesting read but I have to warn you, they don't depict us kindly" His tone was amused and there was an easy smile on his face as he looked at his companion.

Stephanie listened to their exchange in silence and went back to staring into the fire. She was not fooled by them or their act of being civilized; it only made her feel more apprehensive.

"So, are you going to eat that or what?" The blonde Canadian asked again.

Stephanie looked at him defiantly; she was not going to let them know they intimidated her, even when they did. Jericho was swirling Melina's dagger in his hand, playing with it as he expected an answer.

She raised an eyebrow and kicked the pot away, spilling its contents into the soil. It took all the courage left in her but she held his gaze as he somberly scanned her eyes.

"You shouldn't have done that. Jeff, tie her to the nearest tree" His voice was challenging, but she didn't flinched.

Utter silence reigned the valley.

"Upside down?" The man asked barely suppressing a chuckle.

Jericho moved his eyes slowly to Jeff's; he was looking at him intently but didn't say anything. No one said anything. The four of them just exchanged glances around, communicating in a mute language that Stephanie couldn't get. She knew herself to be doomed.

Putting his pot down, Jeff stood up and took a sack that was lying nearby. He then grabbed her by the arm to make her stand. He walked her away from the warmth of the fire and led her toward the nearest tree.

Stephanie walked with her head up high, as proudly as a barefoot woman clad only in her undergarments could.

She leered at Jeff as he silently guided her way. He might be a traitor, but he had also been one of her own. He did not scare her as the others did, so she broke her silence with him, even if it only was to get her into more trouble.

"When my brother finds me, he's going to kill all of you. And he's going to take a special pleasure with you, he hates traitors"

Jeff looked at her, his emerald eyes finding hers as he smiled.

"If it's written in the stars that I shall die facing the Kingdom then so be it. I would rather die standing, than live on my knees…" He halted as they were already next to a damn tree. He put his hand on her shoulder and pushed her down to make her sit in front of it.

"But to be frank, I highly doubt your brother will get his chance with any of us. You underestimate us, we are well prepared and we don't bend easily"

"We" She let out a dry chuckle. "You are neither one of them nor one of us; you are just lost in a limbo. A man that can't stand for his Kingdom is worthless"

"That's where you are wrong; a man that can't stand for what he believes is worthless. Me and my brother, we don't believe in the tyranny of your King, in the oppression of your Kingdom or in the pillage of your warriors"

"And you believe in a group of barbarians" Stephanie snickered as he prepared the rope to tie her in.

"You'll be surprise to know how a great number of people who believe in _them,_ live inside your castle's walls"

"You lie" Stephanie said convinced. He wanted to make her doubt and she wasn't going to fell prey to that trick.

"Am I?" He smiled again as he put the rope around her. He didn't tie her tight, and most definitely he didn't tie her upside down. He just secured her against the tree as she sat in front of it.

"Take this" He took a large coat out of the sack and gave it to her. It was rough against her skin but thick enough to keep her warm.

She didn't want to take it out of pride, but she knew she couldn't turn it down. She wrapped herself with it as he walked away to join the others.

It was going to be a long night and she wanted nothing more than to be home. She prayed again, this time for her rescue to come before the night was over.

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The first rays of lights that came with dawn found Stephanie already awaken. Sleep hadn't come easy for her. She had just dozed off occasionally, neither asleep nor awake. Being out in the open while strapped into a tree wasn't comfortable at all.

Her limbs felt numb, her head was aching and she was trembling; her body was protesting its lack of nourishment. She felt ill.

She was hugging her knees close to her chest and her head was buried into them. She could hear the Canadians moving and talking, their horses neighing but she couldn't find it in herself to look up.

During the night she had nothing to do other than to think about her current situation, and as day neared her initial terror was replaced by a dull resignation, she had lost all hope.

There was no way Shane would find his way to her, even with Hunter's help.

She cursed the Gods for abandoning her, the Canadians for snatching her away and her brother for getting them all into that mess.

She heard someone approaching, still she remained immobile. Even when the rope around her midsection became loose and she was released.

"Get up" It was Jericho; she could recognize all their voices by now. She didn't care that he was talking to her and did not move. Let them do whatever they wanted, she just didn't cared.

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her up effortlessly. She tried to push him away as he held her close to him but in her weaken state couldn't even move him a bit.

He was fresh from what appeared to be a dip into the river, his body still damp from it. "Are you willing to behave nicely or do I have to tie you once more?" There was a hint of amusement in his voice that didn't go unnoticed to her.

She hated him.

She couldn't respond and limited herself to look at him stupidly. Her numb legs didn't seem to support her weight and she had to rest her hands against his bare chest for support. She was very much conscious of the way his warm skin felt beneath her palms, so smooth and hard at the same and she wanted to yank her hands away. She didn't.

She hated him for reducing her to nothing.

His own hands were still settled at her waist, holding her still and she wanted him to stop touching her. He didn't either.

"Very well" He took her silence as an agreement and moved away from her. A sense of relief washed over her. He guided her next to the dying fire and she followed him with clumsy steps, her legs felt like goo.

Natalya was the only one there, the other two she couldn't see. The blonde woman was rummaging into the contents of one sack. She took out a bundle of clothes and gave them to Stephanie.

"Put that on. It wouldn't do for you to walk into next town wearing… that" She turned around and took from the same sack a bun wrapped in a brown paper; she gave it to her too. "You need to eat too, you look awful. But let me warn you, if you throw that away I'll forget my manners; and you don't want to meet naughty Natalya little girl"

Stephanie was unable to reply to the intimidating woman; if she knew something it was that she didn't want to see Natalya or any of them in their worse behavior. She unwrapped the bun and sat down, the change of clothes forgotten at her side. She wasn't planning on throwing that one away.

She tried not to appear too eager while eating, but when the duo walked a safe distance from her she gulfed it down. The bun was filled with cheese and some kind of meat, eating it made her feel a bit better. She saw a cup with water nearby and washed it down too.

Already feed up, she eyed the Canadians. Their backs were to her as they talked in muffled voices. After a while Natalya turned and headed back to her while Jericho walked away.

Natalya took the clothes in her hand and motioned Stephanie to follow her. She did, a bit hesitant. They walked towards the river and when they got there Natalya sat in a rock not too far away from the shore.

"Wash yourself and be quick about it" Natalya said with a bored look on her face as she handed the Stephanie a small soap.

Stephanie eyed the blonde. She was dusty and washing up sounded inviting, but she was reluctant to bathe in from of Natalya.

"Come on girl, we don't have all day" Natalya urged rolling her eyes.

Stephanie looked around the vast valley; the three men were nowhere to be found so there was only Natalya to worry about. She had bathed in front of her maids numerous times but she didn't felt like bearing it all in front of a savage. The men could be lurking around too. She decided to enter the river clothed.

"Prude" Natalya laughed.

Stephanie tried her best to wash as fast as she could while the fabric of her undergarment plastered against her skin, she did overly well by her judgment.

Clean and freshen up, she walked out of the icy cold water and approached Natalya. She didn't know if it was the food, the cold water or the sense of resignation than washed over her. But that morning she felt confident enough to talk to them, at least to her.

"Why bother feeding me and getting me clean if you are going to kill me?" It was a question that had been bothering her so she asked.

"Who said we wanted to kill you silly girl, you are of no use dead. Now hurry up"

Stephanie striped quickly off her damp clothes as Natalya looked away. She put on the revealing underwear and then the leather pants and shirt Natalya had given her. It felt weird against her skin, she was used to the silk and cotton dresses that she and her mother used to order. She had never used anything like it; even the undergarments felt odd, the leather pants hugged her legs oddly and it made her feel unladylike. And the boots, she hated them.

Once she was clothed as a savage, Natalya walked back to their camp. Stephanie had no choice but to follow.

The Canadian started to gather their things around, it seemed like they were getting ready to move on.

"Are you going to exchange me for the other woman?" Stephanie asked hopefully.

"If we are lucky… but if we get _really_ lucky, we'll get Trish back soon and keep you as well" Natalya turned around to face her, there was a smirk on her face. "We'll just have to wait and see" She continued on with her business as Stephanie stood there perplexed.

Why would they want to keep her once they got their woman?

She was about to ask so when she saw Jericho approaching with the other two Canadian males plus once more. It was the Edge's brother, and he didn't seem to be in a good mood. They all had their horses in tow.

Edge was smirking at her. "Looking good"

Stephanie hated that one too.

"Let's get moving" Jericho said and motioned her to come to him. She was reluctant but obeyed him. He intimidated her in a way the others couldn't. The way he looked at her made her feel uneasy and self conscious.

He helped her get on the horse and when she was settled on top of it he climbed behind her. On their first journey she had ridden with the woman, and she found herself mortified to have his body pressed so intimately close to hers. It was indecent for a lady like herself.

"Be safe" Natalya said and waved at them.

Stephanie looked as Edge sat on the ground, entranced with polishing the edge of his spear while Jeff started to help Natalya in getting their stuff together. The other one just looked at them with his arms crossed against his chest.

"Where are you taking me?" Stephanie asked as he reached for the reins. The horse started to move slowly away from the others.

He leaned forward and said close to her ear "Where else, to Canada"

Stephanie swallowed hard a lump that had formed in her throat. "What about them?" As fearsome as they had been last night, she would rather have them all together than Jericho alone.

She felt his breath brush against her cheek. "They are going to find out how much your daddy really loves you… Oh, and to get Trish back"

TBC?


	5. Chapter 5

Once again I want to thank _DarkZoul_, yes they are hot!, _PhoenixO'Neil09_, hope you like this one as well, _TakerTakeMe_, I'm glad you are liking this, and yes Steph is a bit confused with Jericho, _Jelemo_, glad you enjoy this, Edge still haves a few more appearances to make, _Y2JLvr_, you are right, she's over-dramatic lol

Notes: 1) The town depicted in this chapter is pure randomness (It's late and my mind is drifting) 2) I hate JBL, so it's back to Bradshaw here. 3) I meant no disrespect to Canadians with the singing in this chapter.

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Jericho rode fast and wildly, flying low across the valley as the fields ahead of them swallowed them into its verdant vastness. His horse was racing against the wind, its expert hooves steady and fearless.

She was not used to his fierce style of mounting. Back at the castle, on the scarce occasions when she fancied mounting her filly, she would ride it with a smooth and graceful gait until the monotony of it bored her; and she had never left the premises of the castle on horseback, she favored the comforts of the royal carriage when venturing outside.

But she was not at the castle, and these savages knew nothing about comforts or been graceful. Their ways were the old ways, and those ways had left her tights shafted and the muscles of her back and legs wracked in pain.

She couldn't tell how long they had been traveling, as her notion of time had been lost a long time ago, but it had been a long while now, enough to leave her sore and impatient.

Summing to her physical nuisances, Stephanie's nerves were on edge. She had the distinct feeling that the beast was going to bolt and send her sprawling off its back, leaving her battered and broken in the middle of nowhere. She closed her eyes, even when she knew herself to be secured between Jericho's tights she was afraid to fall off.

So she just clutched tightly the poor beast's mane and let the wind sweep around her while her thoughts went home.

She knew that with each gallop she was being taken farther and further away from the Kingdom. As they advanced forward into hostile territory, she lost what little hope she had left of ever returning to the castle. She wished the wind would carry her away and towards the safety or her home.

After an indefinite amount of time elapsed and a great distance was traveled, Stephanie felt their pace slowing down. Only then she dared opening her eyes.

Stephanie scanned the panorama. The tall grasses that surrounded them swayed and sighed with each breath of the wind as the soft breeze carried the fresh scent of flowers. High above them the sun shone high in the bluest sky she had ever seen. She tried her best to let her mind get lost in the beauty of it all and just ignore the sensations provoked by Jericho's body rocking impudently against hers.

She let out a sigh.

Ahead of them, the plain stretched out to the horizon, green and endless. Only a small village, outlined in the distance rose in that sea of grass. It was the first one they had come across with and Jericho approached it slowly.

Apprehension took over her as they neared the village. She didn't think likely for the Kingdom to hold territory so far away. It could only been a Canadian village.

"If you don't want to get into trouble you better keep your mouth shut"

Stephanie startled. She had been so warped up in her own mind that she hadn't expected to hear his voice, after all neither of them had spoken a word through the entire journey.

"Are you going to tie me if I don't?" Her shaky voice asked as she shifted in the saddle, there was no way escaping his closeness.

Jericho chucked. "Princess, I'm the least of your concerns here. If we are lucky, these people won't know how you are"

Stephanie didn't like the sound of that. "And if they do?"

He remained silent and she thought he was not going to answer, but after a while he did. "You'll probably lose your head" he replied casually, like it was not big deal. "You see, the people that dwell in that town are outcast from your Kingdom, deserters and runaway warriors. None of them have any love for you, even if they haven't got a glimpse of your pretty face. They'll kill you on the spot upon knowing who you are"

Now it was her turn to remain silent. She didn't want to get into that village at all.

"You are lucky it was us who got you, now hush" He clucked at the horse and they advanced forward.

They arrived to the village in silence. From up close it seemed more than a gathering of buildings close together than an actual village, it was nothing compared to the few Kingdom's villages she had visited. There was a sign at the entrance, but it was flaked to the point of illegibility. The name of that town remained a mystery to her. Never had she heard or read about a town of outcasts.

At the entrance to the town she saw two men sitting over old wooden boxes. One of them was copper skinned while the other one had long black hair. Both of them were engrossed in a game of cards while they smoked the biggest cigars she had ever seen.

"Jericho" The black haired one greeted while taking a sip out of a crystal bottle he was cradling in his hands. "Who's that little cutie?" He laughed while nudging at the other one to see. "A new girl for The Ho Train?"

"Damn" said the other one, he was blowing smoke out of his mouth as he ogled over her.

"You wish Bradshaw" Jericho snorted as they passed them by.

Stephanie didn't like those men at all, or the whole town for that matter. It all seemed to be decaying; the few people that roamed around were mean looking brutes, they all seemed menacing to her eyes. She didn't want her head to roll in that dirty hole.

Almost on their way out, when a sense of relieve started to wash over her, they came across to the biggest building of them all. From the insides the chorus of a song petered out, voices murmuring like broken threads carried the indistinct tune.

A couple of girls that had lost all modesty lingered outside, they were dressed in unimaginable short pants and revealing tops. He stopped in front of the old building and dismounted.

She had been riding with her back to him for so long that she had almost forgotten the face of this stranger that had taken her away. His long hair, the color of beaten gold was pulled together and banded at the back of his head, giving her a clear view of his sculpted features.

She sat uncertain atop the horse, mesmerized at the sight of him. She was definitely getting sick, maybe delirious. He looked up at her with those clear blue eyes and offered a hand to help her down. She could be running a fever too because she reached down for him and got off the beast.

After all that while mounting, her legs felt like rubber and her back cracked in protest. Oddly enough she wanted nothing more than to get back in that horse and ride away from that treacherous place.

"Hey handsome, what can I do for you?" One of the women purred at Jericho. Her breast seemed about to pop out of her top as she seductively eyed him. Stephanie's eyes widened as realization hit her. There were places like this all over the Kingdom, but never in her life had she seen any. He had taken her to a brothel.

Jericho looked over and smiled at the young blonde woman as he took Stephanie by the hand. He started to climb the steps into the building and dragged her along.

"You can take care of my horse Kelly Kelly, as always"

The woman putted. "You are no fun Jericho. I'll get Eugene for your horse" She said glancing over at Stephanie with critical eyes. She then flipped her blonde hair and walked to the back of the building.

Stephanie followed her captor inside just because she wasn't going to be left alone outside. But she was at a loss as to why he would take her into such a place, she was Princess Stephanie McMahon, royal blood ran through her veins and she belonged nowhere near a whorehouse.

Once into the offending place she saw a voluptuous blonde singing while a group of men around her sang along. The woman's singing was terrible and Stephanie cringed at the sound of her voice. The men were no good either. They all seemed to be drunk.

Jericho walked next to the bar and sat in a stool. He motioned her to do the same and she did, uncomfortable and feeling out of place.

"Chris Jericho" a red haired young woman smiled behind the bar. "You are far from home, what brings you here?"

Jericho's face softened with a smile when he saw the woman. She blew him a kiss. "Red, this is the last place on the Seven Kingdoms I expected to see you in. I was actually looking for Victoria to… since when do you bartend here?"

The woman shrugged. "Since there's nothing else to do around here, I mean, other than whoring"

"Well, today is your lucky day. We need you in the field, we are about to raise our banners" Jericho eyed Stephanie and then back to the woman.

"Really!" The woman's eyes widened in excitement for a brief moment, then she shrugged again and started mopping the counter with an old rag. "I don't know. Are you going to need Matt too?"

Jericho rolled his eyes and whispered. "Lita, this is the big _it,_ and all you worry about is Hardy. Where's the fire in you? You don't belong behind that counter in this God forsaken pit. You belong in the field, fighting"

He eyed Stephanie again briefly and she pretended not to notice, but she was straining to get all the bits of their conversation. The blonde screaming her lungs out with her singing made it hard to do so.

"You know we need all the warriors available and yes, Matt's already involved. But this is bigger than Matt and Edgeward thrown in together. This is the big one Red. What do you say, think you can handle it?" He put his hand on top of hers and squeezed, waiting for a reply.

The redhead smiled at Jericho in affection. Stephanie wondered how long they had known each other to act so cozy. She didn't liked the woman.

"Jerky, you know I can handle anything" she raised an eyebrow and looked at Stephanie. She leaned into him, not taking her eyes away from the brunette. "So tell me, this whole thing with you raising your banners and recruiting warriors around has anything to do with the fact that the King's daughter is sitting at my bar?"

Chris chuckled, but Stephanie's heart started to beat wildly in her chest. Her mind went back to him saying that if someone recognized her she'll lose her head. Would that be the case? The red head was still looking at her.

"You see, that's why we need you…"

"Can I get everybody's attention please!" Came the whinny voice of the blonde singing. Chris turned to glance over her "In honor to our special guest in The Ho Train, Mr. Jericho, I want to sing a special song just for him"

"_O Canadaaaaaa!  
Our home and native laaaand!  
Truuue patriot looove in all thy sons commaaaand"_

"Come on everybody!!!!" The few drunks that were standing around her joined her in her horrendous singing. Jericho seemed amused by the whole thing.

"_With glowing hearts we seeee theee rise,  
The True North strong and freeeeeeeeeeeeeee!  
From far and wide, O Canada,  
We stand on guard for theeeeeeee.  
God keep our land glorious and free!  
O Canada, we stand on guard for theee.  
O Canada, we stand on guard for theeeeeeeeeeeee! _Thank you_!" _She bowed as her public clapped and cheered for her.

Chris winked at the fiasco of a singer and threw her a golden coin. He then turned back to the tattooed woman as a new song broke away. "So, can we go somewhere else to talk?"

Lita looked around the saloon and whistled. "Hey Godfather, I'm going to take a break"

An extravagant clothed man sitting next to the door nodded at her and continued his business with the two women sitting on his legs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Stephanie awoke disoriented by the sound of a wolf howling in the distance. She was in a dark room; the only source of light came from the moonlight entering through the window.

She had been comfortably resting on a soft bed, memories of her last waking hours rushed to her head and she grunted.

She was still in the outcast's town, imprisoned in Lita's place. The woman Jericho wanted to recruit in his cause of war had feed them and even allowed her to bathe in private. She also gave her fresh clothes to wear, but they were no better than the ones Natalya had given her. After that she had been locked up while Lita and Jericho went about their business outside, she had fallen asleep.

Once her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness her gaze raked over the small room, she was alone in it. The door was halfway open and thoughts of escaping invaded her mind.

She waited motionless, expecting for someone to come and shut the door, but it never happened. She could also escape through the window, grab Jericho's horse and run away. But where would she go?

Anywhere but here.

She spotted some of the clothes Lita had taken out for her to wear. They were spread out on top of a dresser next to the door. She'll have to change before making her escape as she was just wearing short trousers that only covered her mid-thigh and a sleeveless shirt, men's clothes if she had to give her opinion. It wouldn't do to flee in those.

Slowly, she rose from the bed. Nothing happened. No one came. But still she remained still, waiting. The wolf that had awakened her had fallen silent by now; only the muffled sound of the wind outside disrupted the silence.

She moved a little further from the bed but she was getting anxious with her slowness. She quickened her steps to get closer to the clothes and thus closer to her escape. But something was holding her foot and she fell to the wooden floor with a thud.

From her place down in the floor she observed in horror that her ankle was tied to the bed with a rope.

Damn him, damn them all to hell. She started to untied the knot frantically. It was impossibly tight and she couldn't do anything with it without a knife, or a dagger. She started to pull her foot out of it. The effort was hurting her skin, but after a struggle with it she managed to free herself from the restraining bondage.

She finally got to her feet but it was already too late. He had heard her and was standing at the door, naked from the waist up as his arms crossed against his chest. His blonde hair hanging lose over his shoulders. She eyed the window and tried to calculate if she would have time to dart out of it and run away.

She tried and failed. Before she could even take two steps he had grabbed her from behind, holding her helplessly against him and away from her longing freedom. She squirmed and wriggled, but he wasn't giving her an inch, he held on tight.

"Let go of me!" She spat at him, trying to break free of his steel grip.

He walked her to the bed and threw her in it. For a frightening moment she thought that he was going to climb after her and desecrate her body, it was the only thing they hadn't done to her yet, that and striking her. But he didn't, he just stood there looking coldly at her.

"What are you trying to do? Do you actually think you could make it out this town by yourself? You don't even want to know what those men would do to a pretty woman like you roaming alone at night"

Stephanie sprung to her feet and out of the bed, she walked towards him and shoved him, she actually shoved him hard. "Anything is better than to be a prisoner of your lot" her voice sounded twisted and cruel to her own ears.

He took a couple of steps back but didn't defend himself; his face was hard and keen. "So you rather have a mob rape you…"

"I'll rather be home, far away from your filthy presence" She could feel tears scalding her eyes, but she was not going to disgrace herself by crying in front of him. She resolved to take out her frustrations on him; she started pounding on his chest with her fists.

Growing tired of her abuse, Jericho took hold of her and swirled her around. He pushed her against the wall and pinned her arms behind her back with one of his own hands. With the other, he caught her chin and turned it up so that she had no choice but to look him in the eye.

"I hate you" she said with bitter defiance.

"I'm sure you do, and I'm sure you want to get home badly. But that's not going to happen anytime soon. So why don't you behave as a nice little puppet and save us all the trouble of having to drag you around tied up and screaming"

He was crushing her body with his, preventing her escape. She found it very hard to think straight with his face mere inches away from hers.

"You ought to be thankful that we are not the animals your warriors are, because you and I both know that Trish's fate in the Kingdom is far much worse than yours"

"Oh, so now I have to thank you? She spat challenging him with her glance. "I don't give a damn about your woman; in fact I hope she's rotting in the pits of the dungeon" That was an outright lie, but at this point she wanted nothing more than to make him feel as incompetent as she felt.

She gasped as he tightened his grip on her chin, his fingers digging cruelly in her flesh. His gaze on her was heated as he held her immobile, trapped between his hard body and the cold wall.

She swallowed hard and tried to get her composure back together. She wanted to say or do something, but it resulted impossible.

He leaned even closer to her, his breath hot an inviting against her face, his body taunting hers with his closeness while their lips almost touched. She wanted them to touch. "You better start praying to your Gods that Trish is unharmed, because if she's not, only you are going to pay the consequences"

He released his grip on her chin, but his darkened eyes never left hers and his face didn't back away an inch. She stood there frozen, lost in the depths of his blue eyes.

"Lita!" he let go of her and took a step back, leaving her all bothered and confused.

The red head appeared at the room quick enough, as if she had been witnessing the whole thing.

"Go get my horse, the Princess and I have a long way to go"

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been extremely busy with work (_urgh_) and while it's not much here's next chapter.

BTW, No real animal was harmed in the production of this fic…

Anyway! thanks SO much for the reviews and yes, that was Jillian singing in last chap. I hope this one doesn't disappoint.

~*~*~*~*

Stephanie was mortified. Her treacherous body still delighted with memory of his solid frame pressed close against hers in that dark room. His fresh scent still tormented her senses even now that he was far from her, and the phantom touch of his naked flesh still lingered to warm her all over. She tried to shake the tormenting feelings out of her system.

Truth was, common sense had left her for a short while and she almost made a fool of herself back in that room. Her mind was in disparity with the rest of her body; both were engaged in a gruesome battle for her sanity and it seemed her mind was the weakest combatant. It was a battle her mind couldn't afford to lose.

Now they were about to embark into another long journey and she wasn't sure if her body was ready to take more of that sweet torture that was his taunting closeness.

"You shouldn't cross him like that"

The princess came back to the harsh reality of her captivity when the redhead standing at her side rushed her to it. Stephanie eyed the other woman; they were both waiting in front of the stable while Jericho saddled his horse inside.

The bitter coldness of the night embraced her and Stephanie shuddered involuntarily.

"He's a nice guy" Lita said with her gaze lost somewhere in the darkness. "But what you said about Trish was mean and uncalled for"

Stephanie didn't respond and limited herself to stare at the woman.

"Trish is one of the High Six and also his friend's woman. He worries for her as your brother worries for you. The High Six are very protective with each other and just the idea of what they are doing to her drives him mad, I bet it drives them all mad"

"Do you expect me to feel bad about it?" Stephanie said in false indifference. "Her situation is no different than mine"

"It is very different. You stand before me unharmed, feed and rested. Maybe a little worn out and sore but that's not too grave, I also dare to bet on anything that these Canadians haven't molested you in the sightless. Trish, on the other hand… we can't be so sure"

Stephanie's mind drifted back to the gloomy dungeon and the woman imprisoned there. The images of Orton and Batista came to her mind as well; they had stayed with the Canadian that first night. Hunter would had too if he hadn't found himself in the obligation of escorting her and Mickie back to the castle. She knew Hunter wouldn't touch the woman, but the other too she wasn't so sure.

"You on the other hand don't have to worry about Chris _dishonoring_ you. I mean, unless you want him to" The woman laughed playfully. "He's a fine looking man and I bet he'll be happy to comply"

Stephanie's eyes widened in disbelieve as she gasped. "Of course I don't want him to" She was Princess to the greatest Kingdom all around, not some cheap whore in the middle of nowhere. She was not willing to disgrace her family's name or the honor of her future husband; and with a savage none the less.

But then she remembered the way her body reacted to his, the urgent need of her lips to touch his as she lost herself into those eyes. She could feel a blush taking over her face. Not even Hunter had provoked a similar reaction in her, not even with all the secret kisses they had shared. "As far as I'm concern he can keep his filthy hands to himself"

Lita shrugged. "It's your loss then, but in that case you shall be all right with Chris" The redhead kept her quiet for a moment, considering before speaking again. "I'll give you a wise advice, if you want to conserve your _virtue_, if you still have it that is, stay away from Edge. That man can sweet-talk you into anything. Believe me, I know from experience" The redhead looked at her with a sad smile.

Stephanie felt a bit uncomfortable, not only for the unwelcomed memories of Jericho's closeness, but for the direction the conversation had lead. The woman was bold in her talking and she was not used to it. It was far from the sweet conversations her maids used to have about boys and furtive kisses.

"Did he had his way with you?" she asked timidly. She remembered clearly the one called Edge and his mocking grin.

"Oh yeah, many a time" She laughed again. "Edge likes his games and I just fell prey to him like a fool. It did cost me real love so it's a mistake that I'm still paying dearly"

Stephanie didn't know what to say, she didn't understand half the things the redhead was speaking.

"You know what, I kind of like you so I'll give you an inside look to the rest of the High Six so you'll know what to expect. Edge I already told you, Trish is a titan of a woman and very well loved among her people, it's a shame what's happening to her. Let's see… Jericho you already know, or will know for that matter. I'll let you judge for yourself. Christian, he's a goof and easy to like, but after your warriors took Trish I doubt he's in his best mood. Natalya, she's a bit on the crazy side, but she's all right too, and Lance, he's the big papa to them all. He's all serious and business like but he's also a great guy, you shouldn't worry about any of them. Oh here he comes Chris"

Stephanie looked at the man Lita kept referring to as Chris; he was making his way towards them with his horse in tow. By the look on his face she could tell he was still in a foul mood. He had put on a shirt and she found herself oddly relieved with the fact.

"I packed you these" Lita said giving her a small sack. "Some clothes for the journey, they are not fit for a princess but it will do to keep you warm"

"Thank you" Stephanie smiled slightly at the redhead as she took the sack. "I'll remember your kindness when I get back to the castle"

It was Lita's turn to smile. "I don't think you'll remember the likes of me once you stride out of this place, but wherever your path takes you I wish you the best of lucks"

"Sorry to interrupt your girl talk, but it's time to go" Jericho said curtly, he had finally made his way to them.

"I will" Stephanie said to the redhead, whom just smiled.

"Jericho!" called a man's voice and the three of them looked at an approaching bald guy. He also had a horse in tow.

"Kirk" Jericho said in feigned courtesy and Lita snorted.

"It's Kurt" The other man replied disinterested in the Canadian, his attention was solely on her. His piercing blue eyes scanned her face, insolently searching for her eyes. He had a sheepish smile plastered on his face as he neared them. Stephanie had the distinct feeling of having seen the man before.

"Whatever" Jericho said as he took the sack from Stephanie's hand, he tied it to the saddle along with his.

"You are not thinking on leaving without me, are you?" the man asked in an unpleasant tone of voice that rubbed Stephanie the wrong way.

"And what makes you think I'll welcome your company" Jericho said looking at the man in contempt.

"You'll welcome it, or I'll tell APA and Stone Cold who you are traveling with" the man replied in triumph.

Jericho, who was already in a bad mood prior to the man's arrival, approached him menacingly. "Go ahead and tell them, it won't do you any good. By now those are either passed out in a drunken stupor or pounding one of those whores senseless, they are no menace to me and neither are you"

"Whoa" The bald man said backing away from the blonde. "Look, I'm not looking for any trouble. I just want to help" he stole a quick glance at Stephanie before returning his eyes to Jericho. "This is no ordinary woman you have here, and you know the road is full of perils, even for a man like you. Let me just accompany you and help you along the way"

Jericho turned from the man and grabbed Stephanie by the arm; he pulled her away from the redhead and walked her next to the horse. She stumbled along the way and almost fell to the ground but he steadied her. "I'll do fine without you Kirk, now be gone"

"You do not understand Jericho, I will go with you or I would gather the few standing men this town haves and follow you all the way to Canada. I'm sure there's a few of them sober and willing enough to join me. You know they won't be in their best disposition to help as I am and quite frankly, we could take you down easily enough, it's true"

"Chris" Lita yelped and grabbed the Canadian by the arm when he was about to advance in rage toward the other one. She stopped him and pulled him away, he followed her without protest and she wondered what kind of relationship Lita had with these Canadians.

Stephanie watched as they both talked in hushed voices, but she couldn't understand a word. Meanwhile the bald one stared at her.

She didn't like him at all. His stare made her feel as if something dead and morbid was slithering all over her skin, it made her shudder in an unpleasant way. She prayed Jericho wouldn't let him tag along.

"All right Angel, but if you don't keep my pace I'll leave your ugly mug behind" Jericho walked back toward Stephanie and helped her onto his destrier.

"I won't fall behind, and it's Angle" The man said climbing onto his own horse.

"Whatever" Jericho said climbing behind her.

Stephanie tensed when Jericho reached for the reins, he brushed her thigh while doing so and she wondered not for the first time how far away this Canada was.

"Godspeed" Lita waved at them as they strode out of town and into the wilderness of the night. For the next few days, Stephanie didn't thought of the woman at all.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jericho rode with wild fury, but no matter how fast his horse ran, Kurt never fell too far behind, his determination was unbreakable. By the third day Stephanie gave up all hope of losing him.

From the arrogance of that first night, Kurt's demeanor changed dramatically. He went on to treat her with a gallantry she didn't trust while he ignored Jericho. He attempted small conversation with her every single nigh only to be greeted by her silence. She didn't like him, but worrying about him took Jericho out of her mind, at least most of the time.

That night, their fourth night on the road after leaving Kurt's town, they made camp not too far away from a small stream. Jericho favored locations near a fresh body of water when it came time to pass the night.

Stephanie was sitting in front of the fire, watching distractedly as the flames danced with the force of the cold breeze. She hadn't given Chris motive to tie her up since the night of her attempted escape, so she was free from bondage.

Kurt was sitting at her side; he always sat at her side and bored her to death with his lame stories, so when he cleared his throat she expected him to embark into one of those. But much to her surprise he addressed Jericho instead.

"Your horse is taking a huge burden; I mean all this mad traveling and then having to bear the two of you"

Jericho snickered. He was peeling the furry skin of the unfortunate hare that was going to be their dinner that night, its broken body a bloody mess in his hands. He glanced at Kurt but his hands continued with their task.

"My horse if fresher, I can help you with the Princess…"

"My horse is just fine Kirk" He replied. His eyes meet hers briefly before returning to their soon to be dinner. "Why don't you do something really useful and bring some water"

Stephanie followed with the corner of her eye as Kurt stood up. The task of preparing dinner was Jericho's alone as was everything else, he never asked Kurt to do anything. She was surprised by Kurt's willingness. When he disappeared into the darkness she let out a sigh of relief.

She didn't want to ride with Kurt; she'd rather drown in the stream first thing in the morning.

Jericho laughed; all of a sudden his attention was solely on her. His eyes gleaming as he looked at her. "So you don't like him either"

Stephanie glanced at Jericho in horror, had she spoken aloud? What had she said?

"It lifts my spirit to know you haven't attempted to harm yourself after ridding with me; after all I'm a _savage_ and he one of your own"

Stephanie felt her cheeks burn with shame. She averted her eyes from his and glued them to the ground. She did her best to ignore his intense eyes and focus on the uneven surface of the soil, if it would only open up and swallow her whole.

She heard him chuckle, but was glad when he didn't said anything more. The man disconcerted her and she didn't knew what to do, did it showed?

When Kurt came back with the water he also brought her a handful of wild flowers he found somewhere on his way back, he said they were to cheer her up. When he offered them to her she crossed her arms against her chest and refused them, he put them in her lap and laughed her difficult temper as being purely _royal_. She brushed them off her lap.

An uncomfortable silence followed.

When Chris was finally done with the mutilation of the hare's limp form he put it to cook. As occurred every night, he left them by themselves and went to the stream to cleanse himself from the gore their dinner left on him. It was a routine Stephanie was already used to, but tonight she found herself anxious for him to come back.

As she waited, Kurt was exercising his favorite pastime, staring at her.

"The first time I saw you were just a child. You accompanied your brother down to the yard to watch us train. Even back there you carried yourself as only a princess can. I saw you countless times after that, always from afar, untouchable in your fancy dresses"

Stephanie looked at the man. "So you were a warrior to the Kingdom" It was the first words she uttered to him, she knew he looked familiar.

"One of the bests, I even won the games held in honor of your brother's coming of age. They gave me gold, but that wasn't what I wanted"

Stephanie tried to remember that day, she had been merely a girl back then and the games had seemed barbaric to her eyes. She had spent the entire ordeal bored, wishing for her maids to be there to entertain her.

If his tale held any truth, it puzzled her that a champion would leave the glory and prestige of being a warrior of the Kingdom to live as an outcast.

"Since that first time I saw you I knew what I wanted. Imagine my surprise when you walked right into town, beautiful as ever. Destiny put our paths together"

Stephanie moved away from him, she didn't like the way he was looking at her or the words he was saying. But he wasn't up being denied, he moved closer to her.

"I always wondered how it would feel like to touch you" he reached for her naked arm and she backed away from his preying fingers. "So smooth" He smiled an empty smile she didn't like.

"Don't touch me" she managed to say in a broken whisper as his other hand grabbed her by the shoulder.

"You better keep those hands to yourself if you don't want to lose them"

Kurt backed away from her as Jericho walked to them. His eyes were fixed on the bald man; he towered menacingly above them both. She never thought she would be so glad as to see him.

Kurt lifted his hands and smiled at Jericho. "I haven't done anything"

"Better keep it that way then. Now get lost" He motioned Kurt to stand up and leave.

Kurt sprung to his feet cheerfully and faced the Canadian. "I think I'll skip dinner for tonight, I'm not really that hungry" he glanced back at Stephanie before disappearing into the darkness.

Stephanie didn't say anything and just remained seated there.

"We'll lose him tomorrow" Jericho said in a flat tone and went back to his thing. They didn't knew of Kurt till morning came.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Warning! Some people might consider this chapter to have some disturbing scenes. There's nothing too graphic but if it offends anyone I apologize.

I don't know why I like to make Stephanie suffer in my fics, poor girl! To tell you the truth I was going to be more brutal in this one, but at the end of it I deleted some stuff, I just couldn't do it.

Anyway! Thanks once again for the reviews and I hope you enjoy this one.

~*~*~*

Her previous life, the one where she was a pampered princess living in the comforts of an old castle was over. She was now living a hard new life; one where her silks were replaced by leather, her soft pillows for rudimentary accommodations and the unconditional love of her father for the watchful eyes of her captor.

She didn't like this new life. The hardness of it all was almost strong enough to make her weep in melancholy at night. She hadn't though, not with Jericho been near.

She thought of that past life and the ones who still lived it. The ones she missed the most were the M's, without them her days were endless. Mickie would have loved this live; been always the unconventional one she would see it as a great adventure into the wild with a handsome savage. Maria, sweet and innocent would have been dismayed and in constant tears while Melina, been stoic by nature would adapt without complain.

That was all in her past, and in her cruel present the ones she had left behind were far away; farther than she could possibly imagine and even if she could manage an escape she wouldn't be able to find her way back to them. She had been taken, and there was no easy way out of it. So she would have to toughen up and face her misfortune as bravely as she could.

Stephanie took a deep breath, taking in the intoxicating essence of her surroundings. She had been waking up to those smells over the last few days, a sweet mixture of earth and fresh grass with a tingle of flowers in it, she liked that smell. It reminded her of the castle's gardens and days gone by.

It was still early in the morning. The sun shone shyly behind distant mountains and the round moon was a fading face drawn in the sky. Her day was yet to begin, but she knew beforehand that it was going to be as arduous as the previous ones, especially if Kurt showed up.

From where she sat she took a good look around, the creepy man was nowhere to be found, it alleviated her heavy heart. She only had Jericho to worry about and his presence she could handle.

She was about to start gathering her things when a blood-curdling laugh froze her in her tracks. It came from afar but the sound was so terrible that she couldn't help but to worry.

"What was that?" She asked Jericho in apprehension; he was throwing his own scattered things back into his sack.

"Must be the Boogeyman" He said in indifference, he didn't looked at her and kept on packing.

"Uh" Was her dumb reply. She didn't know a boogeyman from a leprechaun but if she knew something it was that she didn't like the sound of this boogeyman.

"He's a hideous creature from overseas that feasts from fresh worms out of the soil. But what he likes best is to hunt at night for fair looking ladies. Lucky for you it already dawned" He looked at her with a mischievously smile that would send Mickie into pure bliss. "And lucky for me too, as it's hard to kill the undead"

Stephanie sighed. "Don't try to mock me, there's no such thing as the undead" she said folding her arms against her chest; he would have to try harder if he wanted to scare her. She was done with being scared.

"Why, are you calling me a liar?" Jericho stopped his doings to put his attention on her. There was an easy smile on his face as he looked at her with his taunting blue orbs.

"I'm just saying you might be tainting the truth to your advantage"

He laughed. "I should know better than to argue with a princess, but what the hell. I've seen this creature with my own eyes; it roams at night with its face painted red and black, more often than not he's got worms crawling all over his dead skin while he looks for fresh meat to devour. But the worse thing about him is this maniacal laugh that would sent the toughest warrior running in fear back to their mothers"

"And you saw him?" Stephanie asked with a note of sarcasm in her voice.

"I did, I was with Christian when he introduced himself…"

"Oh it talks, wasn't he dead?" Stephanie said raising her eyebrow at him. She didn't believe a word of his fantastic tale but for some unknown reason she wanted him to go on, this was the first civil conversation she had with the man, even when he was deliberately lying to her.

He laughed again. "You are the one mocking me but anyway, it came to me and Christian one night and said "_I'm the boogeyman, and I'm going to get you…_"

Stephanie snickered despite herself. "Is that so, and what did you did after meeting this creature of the night?"

"Well, what all men with senses do, we ran like little girls all the way to Canada. He's not a pretty sight"

"Let me guess, you ran to your mothers" she concluded rolling her eyes.

"Actually, to Natalya she's the toughest girl all around and she was nearest, but that's another tale"

"That's one of the silliest stories I've ever heard"

When he was about to reply, another one of those bloody laughs ripped through the silence of the morning. She was able to hold her composure, but deep inside she wondered…

"Anyway, I'm going to clean myself" Jericho said with a smile. "_If_ the Boogeyman comes, please run towards the stream to warn me"

With that he left.

Stephanie watched his retreating form as he disappeared into the bushes, leaving her all alone with the threat of an undead from overseas that ate worms. It sounded silly and she laughed nervously, it couldn't be true. She turned around and went back to gathering her stuff.

But this were not her things, in this new life she had nothing. She would be remembered as the beggar princess, borrowing clothes to survive, roaming hostile territory with a savage that talked with the undead. She wondered if that's what the books would say about her. And she also wondered if Shane's children would remember her when they became men, the aunt that disappeared long ago.

She kicked the sack away in frustration. It was not fair, she was suppose to marry next week and here she was in the middle of nowhere packing clothes that weren't even hers, ready to move on with the man that stole her away.

"Didn't wake up in the best of moods, I see"

Stephanie jumped as the unexpected voice took her out of her thoughts. When she looked back she almost wished for Jericho's boogeyman, but it was Kurt. "Can't blame you, princesses are not made to sleep in the open"

Stephanie found herself backing away from his advancing form; he walked towards her in menacing slow steps, his eyes roaming all over her body.

"But you don't have to worry anymore, I'll take you out of here, let's go" he extended his hand, offering it to her as a way out of the captivity the Canadians had on her.

She shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere with you Kurt" she tried to sound convincing, but the truth was he unnerved her. "So stay away from me"

"What do you mean?" He asked dumbfounded. "I'm supposed to rescue you, to take care of you. Don't you understand? We are meant to be together" He took two giant steps and grabbed her by the waist.

"What are you doing?" she yelped trying to push him away, but the more she struggled, the tighter his grip became. "Let go of me"

Kurt's sweaty palms sneaked into the insides of the shirt Lita had given her that night long ago, roaming with unwanted freedom along her back.

"Stop!" She was disgusted and mortified; his sloppy tongue lapped and licked at the soft flesh oh her neck as she tried to shove him away.

"Don't fight it my love, it's meant to be, we are meant to be" He panted into her ear, pushing her against a tree she hadn't even notice was there to begin with.

"I said stop it!" She cried, but he was resolved with keeping it on. He had her pinned against the tree, his naked torso sleek with perspiration pressed hard against her.

Shoving him away didn't produce any results, and he had no hair to pull, so she tried clawing at his face. He cried in pain when her nails dug into his flesh but it was in vain, he just swirled her around, holding both her hands at her back with one of his strong ones.

"You like this" The man panted, pushing his erect manhood against her rear as he nibbled at her earlobe.

"Please…" She sobbed as his free hand found its way back into her shirt; it crawled to one of her breasts, groping her.

"Please go on? I will my princess, today is the day all my dreams come true. Today is the day I'll make you mine"

He tried to rip her shirt of, but with only one hand he just managed to leave it in shreds. "Damn" he cursed and swirled her around to face her.

His eyes were wild and his bald head shone with the first rays of lights, he made a disgusting appearance, sweaty and panting as he reached down to free his manhood from the bondage of his pants.

As he occupied himself with stroking his already erect length, Stephanie tried to run away from him. But he was quicker, he lifted her off her feet and next thing she knew her body was slammed into the ground face down.

He tried to turn her around onto her back but she kicked at him, managing a mere few seconds before he grabbed her again.

"Come on princess, I'll be gentle" he said when he had her on her back. He lay on top of her, his weight pressed so hard into her that she could barely breathe.

"Get off…" She was cut short when he forced his mouth onto hers, his tongue like a poisonous snake demanding entrance. She was fighting a wave of nausea as tears of shame washed down her face. She bit hard on that unwelcome nasty tongue until he desisted the invasion. She could taste his blood in her mouth.

"You naughty princess" he said in a trance, blood and saliva dripping down his chin. He was humping her leg as a dog in heat, moaning and panting.

"Princess" he cried out and she took the opportunity to shove him away. He rolled onto his back, stroking hard at his manhood. His eyes were closed as his tongue licked frantically at his lips.

She sprung to her feet and ran away towards the stream, the last she heard of him was a brutal cry. She ran as fast as she could, wiping at her face as unwashed tears clouded her vision. She wanted to vomit, to wipe out of her mouth the taste of his blood, of his foul tongue.

She looked back, afraid that he was following her, but he wasn't. She kept running until she collided brutally onto another body, this one dripping wet. With the force of the coalition she almost fell to the ground.

She cried in surprise as Jericho grabbed her by the shoulders and steadied her. She was glad it was him. "What is it?"

She looked back again; wanting to tell him about Kurt, about him still being back there but she could only manage to stifle a sob.

He took her face into his hands and forced her to look into his anxious eyes, his thumbs sweeping her salty tears. "Tell me what's wrong Steph"

She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself from all that happened. "Kurt…" she mumbled with a sniff.

"That son of a bitch" he hissed taking a look down at her appearances, she was fully clothed, and she could swear he let out a sigh of relief at the fact. Only her shirt suffered some damages and not even much. "Go to the stream and wait for me" He handed her a small pouch and made his way toward her molester.

She felt disgusted with herself as she walked to the stream and when she got there she went straight in, wishing the current would wash her shame away.

It could have been worse; she knew that and was thankful it didn't. But it was still a huge blow to her pride. She remembered his sneaky hands, his raspy tongue and it was all it took to make her sick.

When she was able to control the turmoil in her she opened Jericho's pouch. It held Melina's dagger, a used soap and some coins. She took the soap and started to rub her skin with it in frenzy, trying to erase every trace he left in her. She rubbed and rubbed and submerged her whole body into the water until she felt somehow clean. When she was done she remained seated there, in the middle of the stream waiting for Jericho's return.

It could have been hours for all she cared, but when he did came back he went into the stream as well.

He took the soap and started to rub his hands. She watched him in silence; his hands were bloody as was his chest. He washed the blood off his skin, the current carrying away the accusatory evidence of what he did.

She wanted to ask, but she didn't dared, so she just observed in silence with her tears dried as he scrubbed himself clean. If truth be told, she didn't care about Kurt's fate; let the bastard rot in the pits of hell.

TBC

Did he kill him? What do you think?

I'm trying to make Steph warm up to this Canadians, she doesn't call them savages as much as she used to haha

Take care


	8. Chapter 8

Notes:

The Canada described in this fic is but a product of my imagination :-)

Kurt's fate would be revealed soon, but not in this chapter.

Forgive and forget my grammar…

Thanks for the reviews! They really make my day… lol

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They came upon the first group of wandering folks a day after Kurt's ultimate disappearance. That small group had summed less than a dozen, all walking in sorrow towards the unknown. But as Jericho's horse plodded deeper into foreign territory they encountered even more groups, each one bigger than the last.

The current group made for a sullen herd. They walked as if by instinct, dragging their tired feet along the muddy terrain as the road ahead of them extended indefinitely. Their scarce belongings were a heavy burden on their backs and they hunched under its weight. A few lucky ones rode in old rickety wagons that seemed about to break with the bumpy road, those were given the grievous task of carrying the wounded.

They made a pitiful sigh.

A fine misty rain accompanied them in their journey, the sky weeping as it witnessed the exodus of the broken group, following them as they sought refuge in this strange country.

Stephanie watched them in silence from above; none of those grieving souls recognized her as their princess. She thanked the Gods for that small blessing.

Due to the persistent drizzle her hair hung wet against her shoulders and her clothes hugged her body almost obscenely. She was cold and drenched to the bone and she could only imagine how wild she must look. But for once she could care less, there were other matters swirling in her head.

Jericho rode among the group asking his questions, the light sucking sounds his horse made as its hooves pulled free of the mud mingling with their words.

Back from the first group, the stories had been the same. A battalion of warriors led by the Crown Prince himself had come into their villages searching for something unknown to the peasants. After not finding it, the Prince would leave in a rage toward next village, but Hunter and his warriors, who also aided with the futile search, would stay behind to burn and kill everything in sight. They had been the lucky ones and managed to escape. Now they had no place to call their own.

Stephanie was sure Shane was looking for her whereabouts, and she had been alleviated with that. But the rest of these people's stories made no sense at all. These were the Kingdom's farthest residents, sworn in fealty to the realm. They were her own people. Why would Shane force them out of their homes when he was bound to protect them? She was at a loss.

They made their slow progress among the pitiful bunch, listening to their tales of horror. As she listened, a pounding took residence at her temples; they talked about how the merciless warriors killed at random and raped at sight just for the mere pleasure of it. Her heart grew heavy with each anecdote.

There had been one of those terrible stories that caught her attention and still had her mind in turmoil. It came from a bruised young woman. She walked with dull resignation, claiming that the Viper himself had raped her as her father lay dying on their own floor, victim to the same vicious man. The brother that walked at her side had sworn to avenge her tainted honor and their father's death.

Ever since hearing her story a couple of miles behind, Stephanie could not shake it off her head. Kurt's assault on her had left a feeling of revulsion and shame in her that wouldn't go away, and he didn't carry on completely, she couldn't begin to imagine how the unfortunate woman was feeling.

By now shame had consumed her entrails, leaving her empty and devoid of anything pure. Her mind couldn't begin to comprehend why the Kingdom would support the ravaging of its own villages.

"Now you see who the real savages are" The low voice came as a slap to the face from the man sitting close behind her.

Stephanie swallowed hard; there was a heavy ache deep in her chest that wanted to explode, it clenched around her heart and wouldn't let go. All this was taking a huge toll on her; her own captivity, Kurt and now this. She felt like crying, but she wouldn't allow herself to do so in front of Jericho, not ever again.

So she just remained in silence, witnessing the suffering of her own people while Jericho's words chastised her wounded heart.

"What kind of King sends the strength of his warriors against his own? What does that makes your lot if not bloodthirsty savages" Jericho kept stinging her with his words. She shut her eyes, wishing he would just shut up and let her be.

Stephanie took in a shaky breath and brushed away a loose strand that stuck to her cheek. She didn't grace Jericho with a reply as she had none to give.

But he was not done with her. He leaned in closer, his chest pressing even more against her tense back. "And to think your father wanted to marry you to the hand that carried this on. If you came to look at it this way, we saved you from that one Steph, you ought to be thankful…"

Stephanie looked down at the strong hands holding the reins, the hands that might have or might have not ended Kurt's life. She was trying to evade his words but they hung persistently against her ears.

"But let's not worry that pretty head of yours with words of gratitude, chances are you don't know any…" Jericho whispered, his lips brushing ever so lightly the sensible skin behind her ear, she found herself unable to breathe.

A slight shiver ran through her whole body, adding more fuel to her already distressed self. The merest of his touch and she almost forgot about the procession of people looking for safety all around her, a slight touch to erase the memory of Kurt.

"Let just be content that we are almost there" He slid a finger under her chin and lifted her face toward the horizon, his moist lips still teasing her skin. She looked; glad that he was behind her so he wouldn't take notice of her flushed face.

Ahead of them, the black silhouette of a city outlined against the setting sun. It came as a vision from afar, a bit blurred by the light rain but still impressive to her eyes. It rose majestically amidst a semi-circle of immense mountains that bordered it safe. The broad wooden gate, almost as tall as the mountains, was sided by two watch towers. The city was impenetrable, a safe haven for those looking refuge.

Stephanie never thought it would be so big. All the books in the castle's library claimed that Canadians were a disorganized nomad tribe; they had no place to call home as they never settled for long. But her eyes were not deceiving her; Canada stood almost as big as the Kingdom's biggest city.

"I'll venture to guess it was not what you expected" He dropped his finger off her chin and let out a sight, his soft breath caressing her cheek.

She had been entranced by the sight of his Canada, a city she dreaded to enter, but he took her out of that trance when he brushed behind her ear one rebel strand of hair that kept sticking itself onto her cheek, his finger tracing a line of fire across her skin.

Did he really have to do that? She shifted uncomfortably, a bit flustered by his actions.

"There are more of them" She tried to focus on what was happening in front of her and not on the man behind her. It was just wrong to be thinking about things she had no business to be thinking when an ill-fated group of her people roamed around homeless, driven away by her future husband.

There was a small amount of people standing outside the gate, waiting for admittance into the city. Had they been forced out of their homes as well?

"Will they be let in?" Stephanie asked as they approached.

"Canada will always welcome the oppressed" He clucked at his horse and it flew forward.

When they finally reached the massive gate the rain had stopped and dusk was settling in. The cool breeze that reigned in this strange land blowing without mercy on her damp frame, she shivered.

At the base of the left tower, there was a wide iron gate. It was open and a young bald man with a wisp of hair at the crown of his head was allowing the solemn crowd to enter in order.

"It was about time" The man said cheerfully as he noticed the arrival of his fellow Canadian. He eyed her quickly, but said nothing.

"Tyson" Jericho replied as he passed through the gate and past the man. "Busy night?"

"You can say so; they are pouring in by the dozens and still more to come. Want to trade?"

"Not at all" Jericho chuckled as he dismounted.

"Oh well, I'll get Santino to trade places with me … the Glamazon is not in a good mood and he'll do anything to escape her wrath"

Both men laughed as Jericho helped her off the horse. He grabbed her by the waist, as always, but once she was on her own two feet his hands lingered there a while more than it was necessary.

He only let go when a lad came running toward them and took the reins of the horse. Jericho greeted him by name, Rey. For some unknown reason to her, the boy was wearing a mask and as he led the horse away she wondered what monstrous deformity obliged the poor kid to hide his face.

Once Rey and the horse were gone, the two Canadians kept on talking as Stephanie scanned her surroundings.

From outside it looked big, but once inside she found Canada to be immense, its splendor extended far into the mountains behind it. Not even in the books had she seen anything so remarkable. The crowded, dirty cities of the Kingdom were nothing compared to this.

She could even see a lake, a lake within a city! Back in the Kingdom they only had the spring and that was out of city limits.

She startled when his hand took hers and she looked at him perplexed. He didn't waste his precious time by looking at her, he just lead her into the city as the young man with the funny hair laughed at something he had said.

As they walked through she drank in it all; there was the obligatory market, the houses, stables and of course, training facilities. There were also two huge pavilions. One was for the sick and the second held large tables with food waiting to be served. It was where her people were being tended. She wondered where would they sleep.

The few people outside were too busy with the refuges to take notice of them as they walked by. Jericho seemed to be in haste because when she stopped to take a closer look at the pavilions and the people in it, he pulled her into him. He kept walking forward and she had no choice but to follow his quick steps.

Up front and near the lake, there was an impressive building. An elaborated portico led to the entrance and Jericho walked her right through it. Once inside, she noted two sets of stairs at each side of the airy saloon that lead to upper floors. They formed an arch and into that arch there was a smaller room. That seemed to be their destination.

She entered the room, very aware of Jericho's warm hand still holding hers. There were two people already in that room, a platinum blonde woman and a stern looking man with short brown hair. The man was sitting in a round table while the woman rummaged in a huge bookshelf. There was a Canadian flag hanging in the background wall. They both looked at the newcomers as they entered.

"Here she is Lance, Princess of The Kingdom, Stephanie McMahon" He made her go forward and closer to the table.

The man stood up from his chair, looking at her with a hint of indifference. "I would have arranged a welcoming feast but it's hard to cheer under the circumstances. I do hope your journey here had been a pleasant one"

Stephanie glared at him. Pleasant was not a word to describe her journey. She had been kidnapped, not taken for sightseeing.

"She tends to be a bit unruly at first, but at the end of the day she's manageable" Jericho let go of her hand and sat in one of the empty chairs. She shot him a heated glance. His blue eyes were staring right into hers even though he was talking to his fellow Canadian. She looked away. Truth be told, he disconcerted her when he looked at her that way…

"So tell me child, do you have any idea of why are you here?" The serious man said approaching her, his face was an unreadable mask as he looked down to her.

Stephanie chose not to reply.

The man lifted her chin and forced his hard eyes on hers. She held his gaze as he studied her.

"Maryse, why don't you show our guest to her rooms while Chris and I attend some pressing matters" He walked away and sat beside Chris. She felt relieved.

"Oui" The blonde woman turned around to face her. There was a smile on her lips that bordered on insolence and just by looking at her Stephanie knew she didn't like her, nor did she liked Lance.

Maryse took her by the arm and led her out the room and up the stairs. They walked in silence through a long corridor until the Canadian stopped in front of a door. Once the door was opened Maryse shoved her inside. Stephanie lost her balance and almost came sprawling to the floor.

"Hey…" She started to protest but Maryse held a hand inches away from her face and started to talk some gibberish.

To Stephanie the words that came out of Maryse lips made no sense whatsoever, so she turned her back on her and started to walk away. She had no patience for her. But the blonde grabbed her by the arm and made her face her once more.

"Let me explain to you a little something" she talked with a heavy accent and Stephanie wondered if she was even Canadian. "Things will be a bit different from now on. You are a prisoner not a guess, so you'll be treated as such. You might have enchanted Jericho with your sweet little face, but to me you are no one, so don't you dare turning your back on me ever again, understood" The woman rolled her eyes and stormed out of the room before Stephanie could even reply.

Stephanie was taken aback with the gibberish insolent of a woman and just stood in the middle of the room. When she was able to recover she walked to the door only to find it locked.

She let out a curse that would make her mother blush but she didn't care. Her mother was thousands of leagues away and she would probably never see her again.

She looked around the room. It had no windows and only a bed adorned its emptiness. Would this be her prison for eternity? She looked some more and found there were some clothes thrown over the bed. She examined them, they were more savage clothes but at least they were clean and dry. There was also a small washroom into _her_ room and she found it held all the necessary tools for her to be imprisoned a long time without having to be left out.

The thought that she might never see the sun shining again depressed her to no end. None of these was fair, if it would only be a bad dream. If only Shane hadn't taken that woman…

She felt tears slipping out of her eyes and she wiped at them angrily with her fist. She was not going to cry, she was a McMahon and McMahons were made of hard steel, or at least that was what her father used to say. Besides she could not cry herself out of this. She would have to find a real solution for her problems.

So stripping out of her soiled clothes she started to make plans in her head, looking for a way out. She studied all reasonable ways and some unconventional ones, but by the time she came out of the washroom, clean and refreshed she hadn't come with any good ideas.

She was still considering new ideas and brushing more aside when the door opened. It was Maryse. She was carrying a silver plate and a small pitcher, a grin plastered in her face.

"Here is your food" The blonde dropped the plate to the floor, food spilling all over the floor. "And here is your water" now she was pouring the clear liquid over the spilled food. "Bon appétit" The blonde closed the door and left her alone with the spoiled food.

Stephanie blinked a couple of times before venturing to the door. It was locked again, she hadn't expected otherwise. She knelt down and saw with sorrow that there was nothing edible among the mess Maryse had made of the food, instead she took the plate and considered its texture. It was hard.

With the plate in her hand, she walked to the bed and lay down. She fell asleep embracing the plate, and that night she dreamt she was back at the castle.

TBC

On a side note: I love Maryse's bitchy attitude with the other divas! She's mean and she just cracks me up. She's a bit rude here thought…


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks for the reviews!

TakerTakeMe – I'm glad you like this, and let me tell you a little secret; no matter what universe my crazy mind creates, Jericho and Steph will always be attracted to one another, whether they know it or not haha

PhoenixO'Neil09 – Steph is definitely taken aback by Shane and Hunter's actions. She'll do the right thing if given the chance…

Takers dark lover – Kurt's fate will be revealed in next chapter, I didn't like the little bastard so I won't have mercy on him lol

DarkZoul – She is a little bitch, but that's just her being her :-) and as for Chris, maybe he couldn't help himself…

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She was being kept in the dark, denied of ever seeing the stars shivering in a distant endless sky while the face of a vast pale moon looked at her from above; denied to bathe in the candescent light of the morning sun, of feeling the growing grass prickling at her feet while a soft fragrant breeze swirled around her.

From within her cell she yearned for those things, she would give away her dowry and her royal claim just to be allowed outside.

But with each passing day she grew more and more convinced that there would not be a way out for her. She was going to rot in that room while her mind shattered in a million pieces.

She didn't even know day from night, or how many days had gone by since that awful first day. It could be a fortnight, but it could also been less than that… she wasn't sure anymore. No matter how long it had been, it sure had felt like a lifetime in purgatory.

Her only link to the outside world was Maryse, and that evil woman was a huge part of her misfortune. More often than not the blonde succeeded in making her already unbearable captivity into pure hell. She spoiled her food pretty often, put out all the lights to leave her surrounded by darkness and she would always rankle her with her hateful remarks. She had grown to hate that Maryse.

On more than one occasion Stephanie had been tempted to use the silver plate hidden under the bed to erase away her sly grin. Sometimes she even dreamt of it, of smashing it against her face when she wasn't excepting it. So far she had refrained from doing so.

Apart from Maryse, Stephanie had been left alone with her thoughts. Her days were long, her nights a torment and the only thing she could do to pass the day was to dwell on her memories, reliving happier times when there was not a worry in her mind.

At night phantoms from her past would haunt her dreams. Kurt was a regular, but he didn't frighten her as much as Shane did. In her dreams, the brother that she loved would become a silent predator, thirsty of blood and gore. She would always wake up from those dreams panting and with tears in her eyes. Those were the worst, but sometimes, if she was lucky she would dream of her mother and the three M's.

Even Jericho visited her dreams.

She heard a noise outside and recognized it as footsteps. They were growing louder somewhere in the corridor until they stopped at her door. Being in solitary for so long had sharpened her senses and when the door opened to reveal a grinning Maryse she wasn't surprised.

"Bonjour!" The woman said in an unaccustomed cheerful tone, she sounded phony. She was carrying a small tray with food in one hand and a bag in the other one. She set the tray down at the foot of the bed and started to take out candles from the bag.

Stephanie looked suspiciously as the Canadian lit the candles while humming some unknown song. The woman kept on with her farce, and Stephanie reassumed brushing her hair. She knew Maryse was up to something and she was sure the blonde would let her know soon enough.

"I have great news… is it Stephanie?" Maryse said in her thick accent while she looked at her with an exaggerated frown. "Anyway, Canada scored a great victory over your stupid Kingdom"

Stephanie eyed the blonde but did not respond, she did however stop brushing her hair.

"Want to know why?" Maryse purred after finishing lighting the whole room with candles.

"Just tell me if you have to and begone" Stephanie rasped with a hint of impatience. Her vocal cords were rusty by lack of use, and her throat ached a little. But she did want to know what the woman had to say, chances were it was a lie but either way…

Maryse laughed a fake laugh and clapped her hands. "The Council got Trish back, as we speak she must be healing in her rooms"

Stephanie glanced at her with distrust. "They negotiated her release?" Stephanie asked in wonder. If that was the case why was she still there? It didn't make any sense.

Maryse rolled her eyes. "Of course they didn't. Our warriors were able to strike a surprise attack into the Kingdom and liberated her. Why do you think your warriors are all over the place killing clueless peasants? They are desperate…"

Stephanie tried to absorb what Maryse had just said. If the Canadians had indeed got Trish back without making an exchange her own fate was sealed. The only thing that had kept her alive was the woman's confinement in the Kingdom. Now they could do anything to her, anything.

"Now we can get rid of you. We can sell into slavery or to a whorehouse, but we might just starve you to death" Maryse walked over to the bed and stood on top of the tray, ruining her dinner/breakfast. "Or we'll just keep you here until you grow old and grey and everyone forgets about the princess that once was"

Stephanie tried to maintain her composure. "You lie. But if what you say is truth then summon one of the members of your Council and make them say it to me…" She didn't want to believe that, it put her safety in jeopardy.

Maryse laughed again. "You forget yourself child; this is not your castle where people do as you command. The high Six are far too busy to come and pay the likes of you a little visit, winning a war is not an easy task. Besides, they are not even here"

Stephanie shrugged. "One of them must be around; you told me yourself that they never went out of the city at once. So go and get one"

Maryse rolled her eyes and said sourly. "Don't try to order me around, I'm not your maid" she wasn't cheerful anymore.

Stephanie favored Maryse with a grin of her own and stood up from the bed. She walked to her until the two were standing eye to eye. "Yes you are"

Stephanie saw as anger took over the woman's features and before she could even react the impudent blonde slapped her across the face.

It had been a first for her, no one had ever dared to strike her in all her life and that the Canadian had done so enraged her. She didn't think it twice before returning the favor. There was nothing to lose, she was already doomed.

"How dare you!" yelped the Canadian holding her cheek. She tried to hit Stephanie again but the princess was able to push her away.

That was when everything went wrong.

Maryse stumbled backwards, her feet tangling with some of the candles she had put earlier, spilling them off their vase. The flames reached the bed quick enough and in no time it caught fire. It happened so fast that neither woman had time to react.

"What have you done?" yelled the Canadian looking around for something to put the fire out.

Stephanie shook her head in denial; she hadn't meant to make a pyre out of the bed. She observed in horror as Maryse took a shirt that that lay on the floor and started to hit the bed with it. The fabric caught fire in her hands and the blonde threw it over to join the already ablaze bed.

Stephanie ran to the washroom and filled a bowl with water. She ran back to the bed and poured it over it, it was no good use as the bowl was too small but she repeated the action anyway. Maryse took notice and copied her, going back and forth with another small bowl. Sometimes they would bump into each other, spilling the water before it reached its destination but overall they were doing pretty good. Two sworn enemies united momentarily to put a fire out.

"What is going on here?"

Over the cracking of the fire Stephanie heard the unknown voice and turned around. It was one of the Canadians, Edge's brother. She poured the water onto the bed as she looked at him stupidly, he strode into the room.

With a curse, he grabbed each woman by an arm and pushed them out of the room. "Get her out of here" He said to no one in particular but Stephanie assumed he was talking to Maryse. "And get Lance's ugly face over here before the whole building burns to the ground"

Once outside the room, Stephanie looked at the blonde woman. This was not the way she imagined her day to go by.

Maryse looked back at her, her eyes wild and her blonde hair darkened with ashes. "You are so screwed little princess" Then she began to laugh wholeheartedly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Stephanie found herself in the room with the huge Canadian flag once again. Lance was sitting at the table, a solemn look on his face while Christian paced impatiently around the room. She was standing, her hands bounded in front of her as Lance considered about her fate.

"Look, do whatever you want with her, I'll go back to Trish. I don't want her to be by herself" Christian stopped his pacing and headed to the door.

Lance didn't even move as the other Canadian left. Maryse had been saying the truth, the Canadians had Trish back, and by what she could gather her condition wasn't the best.

"What are you going to do with me?" Stephanie ventured to ask.

"I have a couple of ideas that I want to discuss with the Council. As for now, we'll have to look for other accommodations, as you tried to burn your room"

"You mean my cell" Stephanie said defiantly.

"You sure are more talkative than the first time we meet" He stopped and considered for a moment. "Cell, room… either way it was better than a dungeon"

"I had nothing to do with your woman's confinement, so why don't you just let me go"

"What good that would make us?"

Stephanie shrugged.

"If things go my way, Stephanie, you won't ever leave Canada. I don't like this war, none of us want it. I have half the Council outside our gates battling the advancing troops of the Kingdom while the city fills with refugees. I'll soon have to leave myself and bring Christian with me, tearing him apart from a woman who had been raped and beaten God knows how many times by one of your most trusted warriors, and to top that of I'll have to leave the burden of the city to that same woman"

"We'll battle to the end and I'm confident we are going to win this one, but what would prevent your brother to keep attacking through your father's reign and his own if we turn you over?"

"So I'll get to be your eternal prisoner" Stephanie said in disdain.

"You get to be one of our own. If the Council approves I intend to arrange a marriage for you. It won't be any different than what you father did by promising you to Hunter. Maybe you'll even bear your Royal children here"

Stephanie gasped in shock. "You can't do that, I won't consent that nonsense"

"We'll see about that" Lance said in confidence.

"You are mad" she replied distressed.

As he was about to reply the door busted open and Jericho entered the room, imposing as ever. He was sweaty, battered and didn't seem to be in a good mood. He seemed the very exact picture of a savage, dressed only in his tights and black boots. His blonde hair was loose over his shoulders and a stubble covered his face. His eyes found hers before moving to Lance's in query.

Lance tilted his head; his ever serious expression didn't change. "Didn't expected you so soon"

"We just came for new mounts; we'll leave at first light"

Lance nodded. "Well enough, Christian and I will leave with you as well. But for now I need you to find our guest here shelter for the night, maybe to Natalya's?"

Jericho shook his head. "She's still in the field with Tyson"

"Then take her with you, her room suffered a mishap. It will only be until the morrow"

"A mishap" Jericho repeated looking at her with his unreadable blue eyes.

"She burnt it down" Lance shrugged.

It was an accident she wanted to say but decided to keep her quiet. Who cared about their stupid cell and their stupid building, she didn't want to bear their savage children.

"Is that so…" Jericho mumbled still looking at her. "And what would prevent her from burning my place?"

"She won't, right Stephanie?" Asked Lance.

"I might do just that" Stephanie said raising an eyebrow.

"Then you better keep her tied up and away from candles" Lance said as he stood up.

Jericho snickered humorlessly. "I knew I should have gone straight to my place" He grabbed her by the arm and guided her out the building.

Stephanie had little time to enjoy her suppressed freedom, the walk to Jericho's place was short and she had to follow his fast pace. But as short as it had been it was good to breathe fresh air and see the stars once again; she never thought she would miss the chilly air of the night so much.

Once in his place Jericho kicked the door shut and guided her in. It was dark inside, and she couldn't take the surroundings as she would have like to.

"Let me get this straight" He grunted as he untied her hands in a quick motion, he didn't bother to light the room so only the moonlight entering through the window killed the darkness. "I'm tired, irritated and in no mood for you, so just keep out of my way" He walked into another room and left her standing there.

Not in the mood for her? The man had kidnapped her, dragged her across the country and now he didn't want _her_ to bother _him_. She was fuming.

She followed him into the room. "You are not in the mood for me?" She snapped. "I'm not in the mood for any of you either and yet I have to suffer you. You've tied me up, drag me around into this stupid country, I even had to endure that wicked woman who wanted to starve me to death and _you_ don't want _me_ to bother _you_!"

Chris ran a hand though his hair and took a deep breath. He turned around and started to look for clean clothes in one dresser. "You are giving me a headache woman"

She stood there, her mouth a tight line and her nails digging into her palms. She had never been so frustrated in her whole life. When he tried to enter his washroom she grabbed the first thing her hand came into and threw it at him.

His reflexes her good and he managed to duck the flying object. It crashed against the door and fell to the floor with a hollow thud.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" He asked turning to her, she could see he was getting angrier by the minute.

"Oh, did that bothered you? Then I'm glad because…"

"Just shut the hell up for the love of God" He grumbled as he moved towards her.

When he was near enough she reached out to him and slapped him hard in the face, taking all her frustration and anger against him. His head rocked the slightest bit to the side and when he faced her again his glare was heated. She didn't care.

"Don't tell me to shut up, nobody tells me to shut up, I'm Stephanie McMahon and no savage will…"

Stephanie was cut off abruptly when Jericho grabbed the back of her head and pushed her to him. He pressed his lips hard into hers and a protest was drowned in her throat.

She tried to pull away, but his hand locked at the back of her head, securing her against his lips. He invaded her hungrily, forcing her lips to part so he could slide his warm tongue in, and as soon as it made contact with hers Stephanie felt the world spinning around her.

While one hand held her head the other found its way to her lower back, pressing her against his body. Her heart was fluttering in her chest and deep in her mind she knew she had to stop him. She pushed at his shoulders, but there was no force in her intents.

The assault when on and she was flustered when she could not stop her own tongue to dance along with his.

He probed her with his tongue, nibbled at her lips and teased her into action while her body molded into his. He was stealing her every breath out of her being and swallowing them as his own.

Her anger was forgotten, she could only concentrate on sensations.

Deep within her legs a pleasant ache was unfolding, making it difficult for her to form a coherent thought. She had to stop it, but she was unable to, she was getting drunk on him.

Not even in her wildest dreams had she imagine a kiss to be like that. Hunter's had failed to tangle her emotions beyond control as they were right now.

She gasped into the kiss and he tore his lips away from her. She almost protested, almost. Her lips were swollen and her breathing labored. She didn't know what had got into her, shame flushed her face.

"This won't do" he said in a husky voice. His eyes were a few shades darker than usual and she had to look away from those eyes. "I'll have to look for another place for you"

He turned away from her and left. The room became frighteningly silent, and soon after she heard the sound of a door being open and then slammed shut. She was left alone once again.

TBC

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Well, it was late when I wrote this but damn, it was about time _something _happened; I know my Stephanie muse wanted me to write it… lol

About Trish, I couldn't leave her at the Kingdom, poor thing had suffered enough. So as Jericho and Stephanie made their way to Canada the others were getting her back…


	10. Chapter 10

I left out a small part in this chapter where Test was going to make a second appearance out of respect of his recent passing. R.P.I Andrew Martin, my thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

On other notes, I've been feeling ill lately and my hubby made me take some damn pills… (I'm the biggest cry-baby when it's time for medicine) I do feel a little better, but my mind is still fuzzy, so if I ramble in this chap please forgive me or better yet, blame my husband for messing up my mind lol. Anyway, here is a little something.

Also! Let me warn you, this chap may be a bit … hard and not so pretty, but it needed to be done to continue with the story and to move on to more pleasant chapters... anyway, I know nothing about wounded people or war, so…

Once again thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them and I'm glad you enjoyed the part whit Jericho and Steph.

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She watched them through the upstairs window. The glass was milky and full of bubbles, but she could distinguish the people below all right. A few of them she knew by name and sight, but the vast majority were complete strangers to her.

The house she had been sent to pass the night was located near the city gates, so she had a privileged vista of the ongoing preparations. Her eyes told her what her heart didn't want to acknowledge. War was imminent; the city had woken up with the fierce call to arms. On that fateful morning, Canada was preparing to battle against the Kingdom's forces.

She had an ominous feeling deep in her gut about it all.

She watched in dread at the warriors in the yard, they were far more than she could ever have imagined. In that multitude Canadians mingled with some of the Kingdom's own to repudiate the advancing menace of Shane and his warriors. She could only pray for her brother's safety.

From above she could see the multicolored haired Jeff, his face painted extravagantly in black and white, resembling death itself. He was stretching and chatting with a black haired warrior while their horses were being saddled. There was also the man with the funny hairdo and cocky smile called Tyson; he was accompanied by the masked kid Rey. Stephanie couldn't understand why would the Canadians send a mere boy to a bloody war, it was beyond her comprehension.

The High Six, whom in that misty morning summed only five, were to lead the hundredths behind. They stood up front, holding a quick palaver as the deafening crowd buzzed behind them. They were all clad and armed for battle.

Lance stood in the middle of them all; giving what could be his final words to the rest of the Council. Edge, with his spear in hand and his never absent grin listened in silence. Christian lurked around them, but he didn't seem to be listening. His eyes were fixed somewhere outside the city gates and a determined expression reigned over his features. There was also Natalya, with a wild grin on her face that matched Edge's. Stephanie believed it was madness to allow a woman to take active part in a war, but these Canadians were not known to have any senses. Natalya was not the only woman down there.

From her safe place inside the crones' house she studied them all, but her eyes kept returning to the long haired blonde stretching beside Edge. She observed him from afar, still confused about the events of last night. He had kissed her fervently and she had responded with a passion she didn't knew she had in her, and just when her knees were weak and her body trembled from need he had left, storming out of the room as if the devil himself gave him pursuit. It bothered her that even after a full night of restless sleep she could still feel the phantom of his lips against hers…

And it bothered her that the same man that had awoken those raw feelings in her now prepared to battle her brother.

She pressed her forehead against the cold glass, wondering. If he hadn't stopped when he did, would she had succumbed to him? During the night she had convinced herself that it wouldn't be the case, that she had more sense than that. But now that she saw him once more, standing down there in all his glory she was not so sure; she only had to close her eyes to feel him. But it wasn't as it mattered anyway; to him she was just a nuisance to be kept from afar.

Not that she cared… kissing him had been just a lapse of judgment… she forced her eyes away.

When the horn was blown and the gate was opened, the great multitude marched outside with their swords and bows and their spears, their horses' hoofbeats thundering through the entire city and beyond. She wondered how many of those warriors would return to the city.

She watched them leave with a heavy heart until the last one of them went out. And when the gate finally closed she felt like crying.

For a long while she stood there, looking through the window to the now empty yard. Her mind was in deep turmoil, she worried about Shane and whatever fate would befall on him. He was no skilled warrior and he tended to be a bit on the impulsive side.

But her mind also dwelled on that previous night, on what could have been but wasn't between herself and Jericho. She wanted to keep those thoughts out of her mind, to lock them away. But they keep coming back to torment her. She wanted to hate him for messing her mind.

She was taken out of her troubled thoughts when she heard steps approaching from behind. She turned, expecting to see one of the crones, but that was not the case.

"And so we meet again…" The petit blonde said as she made her way into the room and sat on the bed, looking intently at her with her warm hazel eyes.

Stephanie observed her in silence, not sure on what to say. She had only seen the woman once, back in her previous life. But even thought she didn't know the woman she felt as if their lives were bound by the mockery of a cruel destiny.

Out of her confinements the Canadian looked smaller and skinnier, as if she had shrunk over the past fortnight. Her skin was pale, almost translucent and fading bruises covered her neck and arms. Her feeble appearance didn't stop her from holding her head proudly as she looked at Stephanie.

"You look different" The woman said taking in her appearances.

_You do too_, Stephanie was about to say but decided not to. It would be rude after all the woman had allegedly gone through. Stephanie felt uncomfortable under the blonde scrutiny.

"Can I ask you a question?" Trish asked and Stephanie nodded. "Is it true that you tried to intercede in my favor back at the castle, to get me out of the dungeon?"

Stephanie considered for a moment. "I talked to my brother about it, how do you know?"

"We have a few _acquaintances_ in the castle…" Trish stood from the bed. "Would you walk with me?" The blonde asked but didn't wait for a reply, she headed out the door.

Stephanie hesitated, but followed the blonde anyway. They went down the stairs and out the house, and once they were outside they walked side by side.

"When they put me into that dungeon, I thought that was the worst thing they could do to me. I hoped and prayed the guys would find a way out for me soon enough… but my wait was long and cruel. That first night was bad, but it only got worse by the second…"

"I'm really sorry about that" Stephanie said as Trish took in a deep breath, her gaze lost in the distance. She still remembered walking out of that dungeon and leaving the blonde behind.

Trish smiled a sad smile. "The thing is that I want you to understand why this came to be, because although this war was not provoked by us, we are by all means going to end it, and if we have to take your brother down we will not hesitate"

Stephanie stopped walking and Trish turned to her. "Look, I know you have good reason to carry on with this war, and it really pains my heart to know all what's been done in the name of the Kingdom. But don't expect me to be content with the possible downfall of my kin. I know my brother's heart and I know that deep inside he's not a bad man, he's just being counseled badly."

"Look around you Stephanie" Trish spat, pointing at the pavilions where some of her people crowded by the dozens, the rest had gone to fight their Prince. "He did this to his own people, to your people... does love makes you so blind? Look at what he let them do to me, they ruined my life. I have the love of a great man, and back in that dungeon I wanted nothing more that to be safely in his arms, he was the only thing that gave strength to hang on… and now that I'm back here and he's with me I can barely stand his touch. I can feel how it kills him inside every time I cringe from him, and every time that happens a part of me dies with him too…"

"Why are you telling me all this?" Stephanie said coldly.

"Because you need to see the reality of the situation, whether you like it or not Shane's actions lead us all to this particular moment, not the other way around. His heart is corrupted by power, but yours is still kind. We may need your help at the end of the day and I want you to think about it"

Stephanie remained in silence, not sure on what Trish was saying or wanted her to think.

"See if you can do something for this people, after all you are their princess" Trish pointed at the pavilions and let her words linger around. "Now if you excuse me I have loads of things to do"

With that the blonde walked away and left her standing there.

Stephanie looked around, not sure on what to do. What could she do to help them? Nothing at all, her hands where tied when it came to them. She made her way to one of the pavilions anyway, the one where the wounded were being tended.

"Hey you, hold this"

Stephanie's eyes grew wide when a muscular blonde that was tending a screeching man put in her hands a bloodied rag. She wanted to throw it right away, but she held the damp cloth with a grimace of disgust.

"Santino!" The woman, who looked beyond pissed pushed the man hard into the table he was laying and trashing into. There was an ugly gash in his forehead and the woman was trying to stitch it.

"What happened to him?" Stephanie ventured to ask. The woman shot her an icy stare.

"This good for nothing fell off his horse before even reaching the gate; I should have left him bleed to death right there. Give me a clean cloth" she snapped and Stephanie had no choice but to oblige. As she looked around for the cloth she could hear the man whining.

There were a lot of wounded people there, and only a handful of locals tending them. Most of the wounded were those exiled from their lands and as the day went by Stephanie found herself helping along. Any thoughts of war and kisses were out of her mind for once.

It was not after the sun was high in the sky that the wounded warriors started to arrive. She was unsure if helping along was the best thing to do, after all they had been wounded fighting against the Kingdom. But there were stabs to stitch, broken bones to splint and countless arrows to pull out and almost no one to do it. She put on an apron and began her work. It was all a bloody mess and it occupied her mind from all matters.

With all the madness going around, the hours passed quick enough for Stephanie. She had pulled her hair up in a messy bun to keep it out of her eyes, the apron she had put on was covered with strangers' blood and she was exhausted beyond imagination. Just after stitching clumsily a young warrior's wound she decided to take a rest.

That was when the first of the High Six arrived. It was Edge, and he had been hit with an arrow right at his side. He was been helped along by no other that Lita, the redhead from the outcast's town.

She didn't want to help than man, so she tried to move out of their way, but before she could even take two steps out of the pavilion the redhead spotted her and called her out.

"Now this is something I never expected to witness" The woman said with a smile as the man beside her grunted in pain. She let Edge slip in one of the tables and before the blonde could react to it she pulled the arrow out of his flesh, the smile never faded from her face.

The man yelped, his face red and strained in discomfort; his eyes seemed about to pop out. When he was able to ease his breathing, the crazed man grinned awkwardly and looked at Stephanie. "She loves me"

Lita fixed him with a glare and rolled her eyes. "You wish tiger. So how you've been doing?"

Stephanie looked at the bold woman. "I…"

"I know, these are crazy times" Lita shrugged wiping her bloody hand against Edge's tights. "Isn't that Kurt? She walked past Stephanie and approached a section of the pavilion were the refuges where being kept on. "What in the seven hells happened to him?"

Stephanie's feet were glued to the ground and she found it almost impossible to turn around. "What Kurt?" Could this day have more to throw at her!

She willed herself to turn around, and when she did she saw Lita leaning into a man laying asleep in a cot. She had to look twice to recognize him as the man who had attacked her not long ago. An ugly scar covered his right cheek, it oozed a disgusting yellow fluid that ran down to his ear. He looked gaunt and his skin had taken an ugly grayish tone. But as bad as that was, the worst were his hands… or the absence of them to be precise. Two bloody bandages covered his stumps.

_He cut of his arms_, Stephanie thought to herself, the image of Jericho washing blood off his hands back in the streams popped to her mind. The cut had been just below the elbow and blackish veins protruded from there up to his neck. He was a pathetic sight and just to look at him made her want to gag. He reeked of putrefaction and death.

She had passed a dozen times by his side without giving him more than a glance.

Lita looked at Stephanie suspiciously and then back at a blonde man resting at the cot beside Kurt's. "What happened to this one?"

The man, who was just nursing a broken ankle shrugged. "Found him as good as dead along the road. We never thought he would pass the night but the son of a bitch keeps hanging on"

"Is he unconscious?" Stephanie managed to ask, she didn't dared moving closer.

"Most of the time, but when he wakes up he only wails and calls for his love, his princess. Anyway, I'm Dolph Ziggler" The man extended his hand to Lita with a huge smile on his face, but the redhead just ignored him and he had to pulled his hand back.

Lita looked down at Kurt and then back at the other man. "Well, what are you looking at, go back to your business" The redhead said angrily at the puzzled man and when he did as told she took Kurt's head in her hands.

When she did so his eyes opened and went right to Stephanie. Those dull eyes grew wide as he recognized her, he was on the verge of tears and when he opened his mouth to speak Lita jerked his head to the side.

Stephanie remained in place with an eerie calmness even when his neck cracked loudly and his dead eyes kept staring at her. Lita let his limp body back into the cot and looked at her.

"Let's find some bandages for Edge before he bleeds to death and the whole country blame it on me" Lita walked away from the man she had just killed and towards Edge, whom had been observing the whole thing from his spot.

"Marry me" the Council member grumbled.

"Shut up" Lita poured ethanol into a cloth and pressed the thing against Edge's wound. He let out another yell and cursed loudly.

Stephanie only moved into action when a warrior with a broken leg was rushed to her.

And so day turned into dusk and Stephanie couldn't count how many people she had tended during that endless day, and as it turned out Kurt's death was only the first of many she witnessed. Her heart had turned to stone, and she didn't find it in her to weep at their disgrace.

She was tired and couldn't stand on her tired feet anymore. She sat on the soiled ground and rested her back against one of the pavilion's pillars. The scent of blood and ethanol was strongly on her, and she wondered if they would ever fade away. Not long after Lita found her and sat with her.

"So what happened with Kurt" The redhead asked as she handed her a plate with food.

Stephanie refused; she couldn't stomach food, not at the moment. Lita began eating hers as she listened to Stephanie. She told her all, about Kurt and his failed attempt of rape and Jericho going after him. The rest she could only speculate.

"Kurt was mad. I worked at the whorehouse, as a bartender, mind you, and the girls always discussed him and his strange ways. None of them liked him very much but he would pay them good if they pretended to be princesses and he their prince… Anyway, I'm going to check on Edge"

When the redhead was gone Stephanie considered on resting on one of the cots and getting some sleep, it wasn't as if she had any other place to go, but as she thought about it she heard a commotion outside the gate. The ones that could stand up rushed over there to see what was all about. As for herself, she was too scared to move.

_What if they have Shane?_

When the gate opened a great number of warriors entered, they were received by cheers and whistles from their wounded companions. She stood up from where she sat and walked with trembling legs a little closer, just enough to take a peek.

She saw Christian ahorse, a wild look on his face as he dragged a severed body through the dirt. Her breath caught in her throat and she hurried up front, pushing her way through the multitude. Only when she saw it up close she was able to breathe again, it was not Shane. The body was almost beyond recognition, but she had seen the man almost every day of her life for the past couple of years. It was Orton, and the Canadians had done an ugly mess out of him.

She looked through the crowd until her eyes rested on Jericho. He walked on foot, his horse probably lost during the battle. He had an open wound just above his left eye and his hair spilled out of the knot at the back of his head in messy curls, he seemed just fine.

She let out a sigh of relief she didn't knew was holding. But her relieve was short lived… she saw he was dragging something of his own. His was not a dead body but a live one, hooded and bounded by the neck. He was leading the captive like a dog, blind and stumbling. She didn't have to see his face to know who that was, after all she had spent _all_ her life with him…

TBC

Well, Kurt's death was a bit lame but I hate killing people off, I know it doesn't look like but it's true! Anyway I was going to make Steph do it, but that wouldn't be like her so I changed it so Lita would do it lol


	11. Chapter 11

A short little update that I hope you all enjoy!

Thanks to TakerTakeMe, Renna33, PhoenixO'Neil09, Takers dark Lover and DarkZoul for the reviews!

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TaKen 11

Stephanie was on the verge of indulging to sorrow and giving way to the pangs of despair. The wait was excruciating and she didn't think she could take more of it. She had lost the notion of time, so she wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there, but by now full dark was upon the city and a red moon watched upon her.

The whole situation felt surreal, like a bad dream she couldn't wake up from.

They had killed Orton, a man that she had never been fond of, but nonetheless a man she had known for a long while. Now his severed head was impaled somewhere outside the city gate to warn any approaching foe.

_What if they do the same to him? _

_No, it must not come to that_. She took a deep breath and blinked away a few tears that threatened to fall. Fear had caught her in its jaws but she couldn't let madness engulf her. She needed her mind to be clear.

She braced herself, giving what little comfort she could manage in that wrecked situation.

She was sitting on the steps to the Council's building, tormenting herself with anguish and keeping her long vigil when a noise startled her, it had come from inside. She stood up and steadied herself as best as she could, the bloodied apron was still hanging loose at her front and she was covered in filth head to toe; but still she stood as proudly as her misery would allow her.

Behind her, she could hear the city moving along. The agonizing moans of the wounded and the cheerful celebration of the fortunate ones, but those noises felt as if in a thousand leagues away, to Stephanie the only sounds that mattered were the ones coming from inside the building in front of her.

When the door began to open at last and the first one of them walked out she found herself frozen where she stood.

It was Trish, followed closely by Christian. Word through the city claimed he had dragged Orton's body all the way from the battlefield to the city just to lay it down at Trish's feet. The mere thought made her shiver and the only thing that gave her solace was that Shane had not shared the same fate, at least not yet.

"I hope you had the time to think about what I've told you, might be you have to make a choice soon" Trish said as they passed her by, Christian just took a quick glimpse at her and moved on.

Stephanie hadn't thought about it. Truth be told she wasn't so sure what she had to think about…

She watched them leave, chastising herself for not uttering a word. At some point, when their silhouettes were far in the distant she saw Trish reaching for Christian's hand. He took it and together they disappeared into the night.

She let out a sigh and turned again to the building. There was not going to be rest for her until they allowed her to see him. She waited for the others to come out, someone must hear her plead.

But the next ones to come out were Jericho and Maryse and her confidence went down. He had been the one to bring him in and she wasn't even a member of the council; she could not put her hopes on any of them. He walked out of the building with a clean bandage covering the wound on his temple and a tired look on his face. His eyes fixed on her as soon as he walked out.

"And what the hell happened to you?" Maryse asked with her usual sly grin. Like always, she looked impeccable, carrying herself with a great air of confidence as if she were the Queen of Canada and not a simple lackey.

Stephanie couldn't say that of herself. Royal blood ran through her veins and yet she stood there looking nothing like it. Her clothes were bloodied, the apron more so; her hair was a mess and she could bet her face was smeared with dirt and other unsavory things. But that was the last thing on her mind; she couldn't look worse than how she felt. "I want to see him" She managed to said without breaking down.

"Let her in" Jericho said in a low raspy voice as he walked away.

She heard him all right, but the odd thing was that she couldn't manage to move her feet. She hadn't expected it to be so easy. What if he was already dead and she would only find his corpse inside that place?

"You are not thinking on letting her enter looking like that" Maryse said quirking her mouth in disgust. "What would that say about us, that we do not keep her decent?"

"I just want to see him, don't mind my appearance" Her voice carried a desperate edge, but she was beyond caring.

Jericho turned back to them and studied Stephanie in silence, his intense blue eyes roaming over her frame with a hint of disdain that made her feel uncomfortable. "No, better if he sees her like that" He took another glance at her and then reached to take the apron off. "Minus this bloody thing…" he threw the offensive rag over to Maryse and walked back inside.

"Urgh!" The blonde grunted rolling her eyes. "There's not much one can do to improve your looks anyways" She threw the apron to the ground. "Well you heard him, make haste"

Maryse turned and headed the same direction Trish and Christian had gone not long ago, mumbling in her gibberish language as she walked away from the building she was about to enter.

Stephanie was reluctant to go in, thinking that maybe she was being lead into something she wasn't quite ready to face. But she wanted to see him, she needed to. So toughening up, she walked in.

The main salon was bright as day, lit over by an immense chandelier hanging high in the ceiling. She hadn't notice that before, but then again she had spent her time in that building locked up. She wondered if he was locked up somewhere inside.

Jericho was there, resting his back against the closed door of the room she had been taken upon when she first came in. His arms were folded against his chest as he waited. His eyes were on her as she walked up to him and she couldn't help but to feel as if she was walking right into the lion's den.

"You will only be allowed to see him for a short time, so make the best out of it. Might be the last time you two see each other" He stated coldly.

Stephanie held her head high, hating the man's cruelty more than ever. She found it bitter that not a night ago, those same lips that now hurt her with words had reduced her to nothing more than a trembling fool. "Then let me in" she responded matching his tone.

He opened the door behind him and moved aside to let her pass.

Stephanie went in and her eyes found him at once. He was down on his knees, his hands were bounded behind his back and another rope was tied at his neck. She couldn't see his face because he was facing the people in front of him and she was far behind.

She didn't lose time walking; she ran to him and knelt in front of him, dimly aware that they weren't alone in the room. "Oh Shane" She said taking a good look at him. His face was bloodied and swollen up, his unfocused eyes didn't seem to recognize her at first. She sucked in a shaky breath, trying to force herself not to cry. But it was futile, she could feel her vision clouding with unwashed tears and she had to wipe her eyes before they could fall.

"Steph…" he breathed in, his voice broken and distant. She kissed both his cheeks and hugged him tight, burying her hands into his hair. "What have they done to you?" he whispered into her ear. "Look at you… my sweet Steph, what have this bastards done to you"

"I'm fine…" She whimpered backing away a bit to look him in the eye. She was more worried about him than on her own captivity. She ran her hands through his chest and arms, checking to see if he was unhurt.

"Of course you are not, I mean…" He took a deep breath as he looked her over; he was interrupted by Lance's monotonous voice.

"Very well, now that you've seen she's unharmed, may we continue and get this done with?"

Shane shook his head absently, his eyes never leaving her moist ones. "I'll never sign that up, so why don't you kill me now…"

Shane was yanked out of Stephanie's arms abruptly before he could finish his sentence. She gasped as he sprawled flat on his back, coughing and fighting for air.

"Don't tempt me little Prince" A mocking voice said and when Stephanie looked over she saw that Natalya had been the one to punish her brother. She was suppressing a triumphant smile as she held the end of the rope that tied around Shane's neck, ready to pull hard again.

Stephanie rushed to her brother's side and helped him into a sitting position. When had their lives taken such a huge turn? She glared hatefully at the blonde woman and as she looked over she noticed Jericho resting against the closed door, almost in the same manner he had been earlier. He was just watching the scene in front of him unfold.

"Sign, don't sign… it makes no difference. We may as well kill you right now and carry on with it anyways. The only signatures we need is that of the King and the Princess"

Stephanie turned a little so she could look at Lance. He was sitting atop the table, still in his battle gears as were the rest of his fellow Canadians and the two other men in the room, Jeff and the black haired warrior he had been talking to in the morning.

"But imagine the sorrow that will cause your sister, to lose her beloved brother right in front of her eyes" Natalya said pulling at the rope, making Shane's neck jerk back awkwardly.

"Stop that!" Stephanie spat in anger and desperation.

"The King will never agree to it" Shane responded in a strangled voice. "And neither will Stephanie"

"I think they will. The King doesn't have any other choice in the matter. His forces are scattered and defeated and we have both his heirs in custody, he's cornered and without choice. As for Stephanie, she'll sign it because she loves you so much and her heart won't take seeing you dead"

"If I sign this thing, will my brother gets to live?" She asked, if it was to be so she'll sign anything they wanted.

"No Stephanie, I'll rather die a thousand deaths than let you whore to any of these barbarians"

"Take him away" Lance ordered and the black haired warrior took the rope from Natalya. "We'll talk with the Princess now"

"No" Stephanie cried clutching into Shane, it was too soon for her, she wanted to stay with him a little longer.

"Don't sign it Steph" He moaned as the warrior tugged at the rope. Jeff, whose face still held traces of paint came forward and pulled Shane to his feet.

They hooded him and took him out the room, leaving Stephanie watching helpless as she sat on the floor. She knew she should stand, but she didn't have the willpower to do it.

Lance came forward and crouched at her side. "Do you love your bother?" his tone was low so that only she could hear the words. She nodded, chewing at her lower trembling lip.

He was holding some papers in his hands and he showed them to her. "Trish spent all day long redacting this, and what she came up with is the only chance Shane has of walking out this mess alive…" He let her savor the words before continuing. "It will guarantee him a safe journey back to the castle, where he one day might rule _half_ the Kingdom. It's more than what he deserves…"

"I'll sign them" She said determined.

"That's not all. The other half of the Kingdom, the one that he won't be able to rule will pass on to Canada as soon as this document is signed properly, we will even let you represent that half. But, if either the King or Shane ever gives us reason to, we will be in all our rights to claim the rest of the Kingdom. If that ever happens they will be removed permanently" His tone was still low and Stephanie found herself leaning closer to listen better.

"So basically, the only thing you have to do is wed one of our own, bear him a couple of children and let us guide you through your _reign_. We also request the Kingdom to turn over Hunter and Batista so they can face justice here, I understand the former was to be your husband and I hope that's not going to be a problem in our treaty. So what do you say Princess, is the love you have for your brother strong enough?"

Stephanie took a deep breath. She could feel her heart beating irregularly in her chest. Just marrying for Shane's life… it would be no big deal, right? She had already made the idea in her head that she would marry Hunter one day, and that had been her father's choice, not hers. It was the same right now, but with a cause.

As for Hunter and Batista, Shane's life was worth more than theirs. "Where do I sign?"

Lance gave her the papers and a pen, he showed her where to sign and she did, trying not to think too much of it.

"Great, now we only need the King's…" Lance scribbled his name somewhere along hers. "… And the rest of the Council's. But we'll have to carry on without the King's for now, by the time this reaches him you'll already be wed"

Stephanie tried to keep her mind blank and numb as Natalya signed along. "I'll make sure Edge signs, let's see, Trish and Christian already did… uh! We are missing one, a very important one…"

"Chris" Lance called out.

Stephanie looked up as Natalya walked to Jericho and handed him the papers. He remained still for a while, his arms still folded up his chest as he fixed Lance with a glance. "Come on, we already discussed this a dozen times" She hissed as she nudged at his arm. "You said it was all right"

He snatched the papers with a grunt and signed almost angrily. When he was done he walked out the door.

"So it is as good as done, how do you fancy marrying on the morrow?" Natalya asked with a smile and Stephanie wondered if she had done the right thing.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks for all the reviews! WOW It took me a while to come up with this but I hope you like it :-)

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Stephanie reached blindly for the flagon of wine that rested over the small sideboard at her side. Her clumsy fingers, not knowing their way around stumbled with the empty silver goblet that had been right beside the flagon and knocked it down. Lazily, she moved her gaze to it, half expecting to see it rolling off to the floor.

It didn't.

For a long time she remained motionless, transfixed by the sight of it. A _single cup for them to share._ She wondered who had put it there in the first place and then decided that wondering about it was trivial, it just didn't matter.

She took hold of it and neared it to her face to inspect it closer. It was a beautifully polished silver piece that sparkled wildly if the moonlight sneaking through the curtains reflected right on it. She lifted it the slightest bit and flickered it around, trying to make it shine once more. She couldn't find the right spot that would do the trick, so a bit disappointed she decided it was time for another refill.

As she was filling the goblet she ventured to lift her eyes to get a glimpse at her reflection through the tall silvered looking glass in front of her.

She could barely recognize the woman staring back at her and she leaned forward to take a better look. They had dressed her in a pearl-white silk gown, the fabric so smooth that it could slip through her fingers like water if she cared enough to touch it again. It hugged her frame as a second skin and it only made her feel overexposed. Golden bracelets were slid around her wrist and more exquisite jewels adorned her earlobes and fingers. They had even anointed her with exotic perfumes and applied a bit of color to her eyelids and lips.

_Stunning_, Edge had repeated to her numerous times back at the brief ceremony that had taken place way before the sun went down. She chuckled bitterly at the memory of it all and had to cover her mouth so the sound of it wouldn't break the silence in the room.

She waited, straining her ear to catch any sound other than the beating of her own heart. Nothing moved and no one came and the reigning silence continued disrupted. She let her hand drop back to her lap to join the other one in the cradling of the goblet and she continued to scrutinize her appearance.

Her eyes casted a dull sparkle everywhere she looked and her pale complexion had gained a healthy blush thanks to the wine she had taken. The Stephanie looking back at her was just as unfamiliar as the new country she was now forced to live. She was no longer Stephanie the Princess, but Stephanie the prisoner, the wife. She dreaded it.

Exhaling forcibly she began to remove and toss aside one by one all the rings and bracelets they had put on her.

She failed to see their point of dressing her up in fancy silks for a bogus wedding that was to be attended solely by the members of the Council. Why didn't they wed her in her borrowed leathers and be done with the whole thing? She had said so to Lita as the redhead helped with her preparations, but the redhead had just laughed and said that it wasn't for the wedding they were preparing her, but for the wedding night, where hopefully her Lord husband would get her with child.

That was when nerves had started to gnaw at her bones.

She drained half the cup in three long swallows, enjoying the sweetness of the fine liquid as it invaded all her senses.

"Go easy with that, or it will all go to your head"

Stephanie startled and almost spilled the rest of the wine all over her dress when the low masculine voice came from somewhere behind her. She looked up and through the looking glass she saw him approaching.

Whether it was the effect of the liquor running through her veins or he himself she was not sure; but time seemed to have slowed to a crawl as he made his way to her.

In her dull stupor she just remained sitting there, looking a complete fool until he got to her side. And only when he stood beside her she made her eyes look up at him.

All the intensity of his blue eyes was focused entirely on her and she felt a shiver run through her body that didn't have anything to do with the soft breeze that entered through the window.

"How much of this have you drunk?" he asked her as he reached down to take the goblet off her hand.

She shrugged, missing already the feel of the cool object in her hands. "A couple" Could be that it was more than that, but not near enough to drown herself into oblivion.

When the so called wedding ended, she had been lead to his chamber to be left alone with her fears. A long time passed by without him showing up to claim his right as her husband and she had hoped that maybe he was not going to show up at all. After all he seemed to be as eager as she was with all this nonsense.

But now he was here and her destiny was sealed.

She watched him in silence as he neared the cup to his lips, took a swallow and savored the wine. "A couple too many…" he mumbled before drinking the rest of it. When he was done he put the goblet down on the sideboard and went back to staring at her.

Stephanie was very much aware of his imposing presence and the way he loomed over her. Her senses were on edge and she couldn't help but to feel slightly uncomfortable under his stare. She wished for one last cup to help her carry on through the night, but she knew her time was up and now she had to do whatever needed to be done to keep Shane alive.

So taking a deep breath she attempted to stand up and be done with it already, the sooner the better. But when she got up the floor moved underneath her bare feet and she tried to sit back again and wait for the feeling to wash over her.

But it wasn't to be so. He circled her waist with his arm and held her steady against him. She knew in that moment that a couple of cups were indeed too many.

She closed her eyes and waited for the spinning room to settle back to normalcy while her face hid automatically into the crook of his neck. She was holding herself by grabbing him by the shoulders, but she was pretty much sure that even if she let go of him she wouldn't lose her balance. His grip on her was strong and firm.

"You are drunk" He observed and said so in a low whisper, his hand burning her skin through the thin fabric of her dress.

"I'm not" She shook her head in denial, her lips brushing gently against the soft skin of his collarbone. She was not drunk, just slightly giddy and his closeness was not helping solve the matter.

_But if I hadn't drunken so much maybe I could have been able to draw away from him._ She thought to herself and bit hard on her lower lip to suppress a light chuckle.

His free hand went up to bury itself into her hair and he gently forced her head back so he could look at her face.

"Well, you sure fooled me…" his voice carried an amused tone and she forced her eyes to open just to see if his eyes held the same amusement.

They certainly did. She found herself entranced with his sparkling blue depths and the argument she was going to utter got caught in her throat, she swallowed it down.

With great effort she managed to disentangle herself from his arms and take a few steps back. "I…" she closed her eyes briefly and ran a hand through her hair in a nervous attempt to calm her trembling hands, but her limbs felt heavy as stones and their movements were slow and clumsy. She hoped he hadn't noticed.

"Do you want me to take my clothes now or do you want to do it yourself" She opened her eyes only to see his face change drastically.

For several minutes he stood there, staring at her with his now unreadable eyes. His mouth had set into a thin angry line and she found it suddenly hard to breathe.

She dropped her eyes to the floor so she wouldn't have to look at him. Not knowing what to make of his silence she reached back to the fastening of her dress to unzip it and be done with it. Her fingers trembled as she began fumbling with the fastening; it seemed she had ten thumbs instead of fingers, and all of them broken.

She managed to unfasten the zip and the only thing that prevented it from sliding in a puddle down at her feet was her hand holding it still. She was unsure of taking the hand away.

He walked up to her and reached for the back of her dress. Her eyes were still glued to the floor so she felt him rather than saw him. His fingers brushed the newly exposed flesh of her back, but instead of pushing the dress off her body he zipped it back midway.

"I don't tend to take drunken women" His voice was a low caress on her skin and she had to look up to see his stern looking face. The soft light of a candle nearby picked out shadows on his skin, the chiaroscuro of black and pale dancing along his handsome features. She stared at him as he stared back at her.

"I told you I'm not drunk" She was not sure why hadn't she taken the opportunity to escape her fate if only for a night and retreat back. Could be that maybe she was indeed drunk, because next thing she did was take his hands off and let the dress slip off.

She stepped out of the dress and fixed her gaze on the discarded gown. She now stood before him only in her lower underwear and suddenly she found herself too shy to look at him. Lita had sworn that undressing for him and revealing her almost naked body would drive him mad with lust, but she wasn't so sure if Lita knew what she was talking about because he hadn't made any attempt to touch her, let alone take her to bed and have his way with her.

Gooseprickles covered her exposed flesh, which was to say all her body, as she waited. Her heart was beating frantically in her chest and she had to force her arms to hang limp at her sides. When nothing happened and her body trembled slightly from the cold she ventured to look at him.

She found him staring. His eyes had turned almost black in the darkness of the room as he drank on her nakedness. She clenched her hands into fist, wanting nothing more than to put the dress back on and escape his wandering eyes, escape the room and run back to the safety of the castle.

But she knew well enough that going back to the castle was never going to happen, so she needed to learn how to live this new life of hers.

The silence that reigned the room was unbearable and she wished for something to happen, anything just to end it. She wanted to say something, but couldn't find anything appropriate.

"Don't I please my Lord husband?" She asked in a broken whisper and as soon as the words were out of her lips his eyes returned to hers. She held his gaze as he closed the distant between them both.

When he was close enough for their bodies to touch he slid a hand to her lower back and pulled her even closer. With his other hand, he ran a finger down her side until it rested at her hip, she shivered under his touch. "You please me just fine, princess" He whispered huskily.

She shut her eyes tightly when his lips found their way to the sensitive flesh of her neck. He kissed her lightly up to her ear, leaving a trail of fire burning within her. "But just call me Chris"

She sighed when he dragged his lips up, extending the trail along her jaw and then down again to her neck. All the while his restless fingers explored the newly discovered territory of her flesh. Running slowly along her back and her sides, and all she could do not to melt was hold tight onto him.

She wrapped her fingers into his silky blonde hair and tried to move his head up so that he would finally kiss her lips. She wanted to find out if they would be as soft and inviting as she remembered. He complied to her silent plead and captured her mouth with his.

She was pleased to find them as good, if not more than what she remembered; maybe the fact that she was as good as naked in his arms increased the experience tenfold. She parted her lips for him, granting him unlimited access to deepen the kiss.

And deepen the kiss he did. He plunged into her without hesitation, his tongue tangling with hers in a passionate duel. There was nothing to hold them back this time, and she was surprised to find out that the thought did not scare her as it had done earlier.

He tasted sweet like wine, and she was getting drunk on him. The kiss quickly progressed into a festival of raw desire.

He slid a hand down to her still clothed bottom and pulled her against him so she could feel his arousal. Her knees went weak as a dull, pleasant ache flared up and centered itself somewhere between her legs. If that was what it took to save Shane she would do it a million times if necessary.

His torso was naked, it had been like that since the moment he had entered the room. She hadn't make too much of it since these Canadians had apparently declared their enmity to shirts a long time ago. But now that her naked skin was pressed against his own she couldn't help but to find the sensation overwhelming.

Out of breath, she pulled away from the kiss when she felt his hand creep between their bodies to trail down to her stomach, his fingers smoothing over her soft flesh. But he recaptured her lips and kept on with the gentle strokes.

Lazily, his fingers slid even lower, down until they dipped to her aching center. She gasped into his mouth, both in surprise and pleasure as his hand curved around her. He squeezed her gently through the damp fabric of her underwear, reducing her to nothing but a trembling mass of need.

This time he was the one to pull from the kiss and she had to rest her forehead against his chest to prevent herself from falling. Her breath had become shallower as he continued his assault on the most intimate part of her being. All of it felt surreal, his finger slipping under her underwear, parting her slick center to rub lavishly over her nub, to circle at her entrance.

His intimate caress was tantalizing, and she had to bit down a moan as a lone lean finger slipped slowly inside her, probing deep into her. She had never imagined such exquisite pleasure was even possible. By now he could do whatever he pleased with her and she would have no choice but to oblige.

After torturing her with his sweet ministrations for a glorious short time, he slid his finger out of her center and moved both his hands to her rear, pushing down the offending underwear until it slid off her body, leaving completely naked. He kissed her again while he walked her back into the room.

When the back of her knees collided with the edge of the bed he pushed her gently into it. She climbed on it, very conscious of his stare as she lay down. She closed her eyes, listening to the rustle of clothes as he undressed himself off his pants. Gods help her but she wanted him, the intensity of her need scared her a bit but even though she wanted it she couldn't help but dread what was coming next.

Should she open her legs for him now?

The mattress sunk under his weight as he climbed onto the bed with her, she forced her eyes to open. He had positioned himself on top of her without crushing her and with his knees he himself pushed her legs apart so he could place himself between them.

She was still trembling and as his body rested against hers he kissed her once more. The union of his lips to hers was gentler than the previous ones, it didn't lack passion or need, but it was more laid back.

Her hands grabbed hard on the sheet as his erection rubbed at her entrance, waiting for a protest she didn't make. She shut her eyes and tensed as he began to enter her, filling her slowly, solidifying their union in flesh as well as they had done by paper.

For a moment a sharp pain made her eyes water and she had to brake away from the kiss to bit hard at her trembling lips.

He remained still inside her, until her pain faded away and the only thing she could feel was his manhood throbbing deep within her.

She ventured to open her eyes only to find him looking at her in concern. The eyes of the _savage_ that had taken her away delving deep into hers, she was transfixed by him.

"Are you all right?" his voice was low on his throat.

She nodded, not trusting her own voice to speak coherently. He leaned forward and kissed her lips softly, then her temple and her eyelids. He began to move within her, slowly at first until the pressure inside her began to soar.

That night he prompted her to forget about her brother and the war that had divided her country, he made her forget about everything but the sensations he provoked in her. That night he made her his, an extension of his flesh.

That night as her body fused with his she ceased to be the person she once was to become a new one…

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Sorry for the delay! But here it is, a new chapter I hope you enjoy. For those of you who thought they married her to Edge, I have to admit that was my initial plan, but I couldn't do that lol. Anyway, please don't hate me… :-)

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_There was someone in the room with her. She could hear its slow breathing but it was too dark to see. The room was engulfed in pitch black darkness and when she looked around to see if the curtains were drawn she found out there were no windows in the room. _

"_Who's there?" Her voice cracked the tiniest bit but she ignored it and waited for a response that never came. She peered into the darkness and she thought she could see a shadow, the faintest outline of a shape. _

"_Chris… is that you?" She pulled the blanket closer to her body; an irrational sense of panic was starting to fill her heart. Whoever or whatever was in the room had started to move towards her, sliding out of the darkness in silent feet. _

_The slow breathing that had waked her up was by now a ragged ominous sound lurking somewhere near; it made her shudder against her will. And there was this awful smell that clung to it, a putrid offensive smell that invaded all her senses and made her want to gag. She had never been so scared in her life. _

_She clutched tighter the blankest as if the fabric would be enough protection for whatever lurked in the darkness of her room._

_And it was so near, she could feel it._

'_It's right beside my bed, by the Gods it's right beside the bed and if it touches me I'll be doomed because this thing is not among the living and if touches me I'll die with it' she chanted in her mind because fear had sealed her lips. _

_She observed in horror as the shadowy thing extended a hand to her, its pale fingers moving like angry snakes as they neared her flesh. She could not move a muscle, and the only thing she could do was to wait for it to reach for her. She wanted to move out of its way, but she just couldn't. Her body had become suddenly too heavy for her to handle, and when it was right in her face it touched her forehead and it was cold; cold as only the dead can be._

"…_All will be lost" The thing spoke to her in a voice that was too eerie to be human and then her eyes shut themselves and she was no more…_

_~*~*~*~*~*~*_

She woke up with a start, dimly aware that there was someone knocking at her door.

A thin line of sweat ran slowly dawn her spine and there was a yelp stuck at the back of her throat trying to force its way out. She had been dreaming again that awful dream, the one that she couldn't quite remember once her eyes were open but that left in her a sense of dread that would last all day long. It might be that she could not remember, but she was pretty much sure it was always the same dream; it had been haunting her for a few consecutive nights.

The knocking came again in a rampage and she could almost feel the door trembling with the force of the blows. Someone was in a rush to speak to her.

Swallowing hard and waiting for her heartbeat to calm down to its normal rate, she ran a trembling hand along her forehead, unconsciously feeling with her fingertips for anything unusual. For a brief moment she thought she was going to remember, but whatever recollection she had faded away when someone called for her insistently.

"Stephanie! Open the damn door right now"

The brunette grunted when she recognized the voice of the person who was about to break down her door if she didn't made haste. But she was still groggy and she had to fight her way out of the tangle of blankets that had her imprisoned before getting to her feet.

Once she could free herself, she climbed out of bed and on bare wobbly feet she walked to the door. As she made her way to the soon to be broken wooded door if she didn't hurry, she looked around the room for a sign of his arrival. There were none, but it was not like she had expected any.

"I'm coming" She replied harshly and once she was to the door she opened it to find a very pissed Natalya standing there.

"What now?" She asked in annoyance as she turned around. She didn't want to deal with a pissed Natalya, it was too damn early for that and she hadn't even washed her face, she wanted to wash her face.

If there was something Stephanie knew by now was that Natalya's mood soured every time she was left behind to tend Canada's needs from her sit in the Council. The fiery blonde claimed that she rather be out on the field than on a sit, but when reports of a disturbance in one of their villages came a week ago it was her turn to stay, Trish stayed too. Chris, along with Edge, Christian, Lance and some of their more trusted warriors left, they were still yet to arrive.

"I want to speak to you" The blonde said following her into the room.

"So speak, I'm hearing" Stephanie eased herself into the washroom to wash her face and mouth, hoping that the cool water would at least rush her out of sleepiness.

"Have you been plotting against us? If so I want you to tell me who had you been talking to and what exactly have you planned?"

Stephanie sighed. _Here we go again..._ "Sure, I've been having secret correspondence with the King himself…"

Natalya grabbed her arm and forced her to turn around, her fingers digging into her flesh cruelly. "I'm serious" The blonde Canadian hissed, her eyes were ablaze with anger and they were shooting daggers at her.

Stephanie gasped and tried to yank her arm away from Natalya's grip but it was a futile attempt, the Canadian was not going to yield. "I don't know what do you want me say. We've had this conversation before and every time you come here I tell you the same. I'm not talking to anyone and I'm not plotting anything…"

Natalya let go of her arm, but her fiery eyes still held her gaze. "Well someone is, and if it's not you then it is your brother"

"Shane…? He's in a cell for crying out loud, he had been there for a fortnight. How do you think he could be plotting against you if you don't let him out like you said you would? Maybe you are seeing shadows where there are none"

"Shadows? Natalya laughed a bitter laugh. "We were lead into an ambush, someone from inside helped Hunter and company to plan a surprise attack, one that left Lance dead and others wounded. How's that for seeing shadows?"

Stephanie was aghast with Natalya's words and it took her a while to react. _Lance dead… an ambush by Hunter… someone from inside… Lance… when will this end?_

"What about Chris?" Stephanie hurried to ask. She didn't like the thought of him being hurt and much less dead, just thinking about it constricted her throat and made her heart clench.

She had tried not to feel like this, to withstand the growing feelings that had been evolving in her for this past fortnight, but fighting was pointless. Her heart already knew it but her mind refused it. Their marriage was an arrangement, an association if you will and her mind emphasized on it every time she found herself waiting for the night to come, because even when his days were spent at the Council or at the field, his nights belonged to her.

That had been until he left. A week had gone by and there was not much that she could do but wait, because waiting was what she did best and by now it had become her specialty. She was used to it, but she hated it.

"Is he all right?"

"He's unharmed if that's what you mean" Natalya responded in a whisper and Stephanie could breathe again. "As of now he's at the Council interrogating the Prince"

"He's here?" He was there and he hadn't come to see her… For some reason she didn't like that at all, but then her mind slapped her internally and went on to Shane. "Why is he interrogating Shane?"

"I told you; chances are that one of you is plotting against us and we have to find which one, they don't think it's you so that only leads to your brother. Now as a result Lance is dead… he was a member of the Council and our brother, we can't let this matter unresolved"

That, she liked even less. She had seen the results of what an enraged Chris could do, the disturbing image of Kurt came to her mind and she didn't want that to be the fate of Shane. Christian came to mind too, dragging the mess he had made of Orton's body… she shuddered. Plotting or not, deservingly or not Shane was her blood, her brother and she loved him. "Let me talk to him. If he is indeed plotting I can get the name of the person he's conspiring whit" Stephanie doubted Shane had anything to do with any of that, but it might be that she could prove it to them if she talked to Shane.

Natalya looked at her through half closed eyes, as if considering her. "Fine, but make haste before it's too late" With that she turned and left the room.

Stephanie hurried and changed clothes, put on her boots and followed Natalya out of the room and on to the Council's building.

Everything that happened next was like a bad dream she couldn't wake up from. She got to the building and went in, her legs automatically carried her to the room she so desperately wanted to go.

Shane was there, down on his knees and disheveled. They had refused every petition of letting her see him ever since that first night he was brought in, and now that she got the chance to see him her heart broke a little at the sight of him. He was unrecognizable; he looked a broken man, only the shadow of his former self. They had him in chains and his head was being forced down unto a chair by Edge. The Canadian had his fingers entwined in his black hair and every once in a while he would lift his head only to smash it against the chair forcefully. Stephanie flinched with every blow but was unable to do anything about it.

Edge repeated the action every time a question was asked and Shane responded to it, he didn't seem to like his answers. Jericho was there too, unharmed as Natalya had said. They all seemed unharmed but Lance's absence was enough proof of what had happened out there.

Jericho was standing at Edge's side, supporting his weight with one of the biggest swords she had ever seen, it was bare for everyone to see, the metal glowing in her eyes. A bare sword was never a good thing in a situation like this and she looked around some more until she found Edge's spear near him. The tension was palpable and it could only turn for the worse.

The remaining members of the Council were there as well. Trish was on her sit at the table, observing the scene with a calmness that was too eerie to observe. Christian was standing at her side, ready to take action if the situation required him to move, but his face differed greatly from his woman, it was stern and tired. Natalya, whom had just gotten into the room along with her, went straight to sit at Trish's side; she leaned into her petit comrade and said something in her ear, Trish nodded but her eyes remained on Shane.

She was occupied absorbing her surroundings, trying to think of a way to stop all the madness when Shane's laughter interrupted her thoughts. It was coarse and cruel, so different from the burst of laugher that used to take over him when he found something amusing or to his liking. She could feel her body tense in anticipation, and with horror she saw as Edge slammed his head a final time, nodded at Jericho and then stepped back.

Jericho stepped in after Edge; anger had taken over his features as it had done with the others. Had he admitted? Before Jericho could even lift the sword off the floor to strike, Stephanie rushed forward. She wasn't aware of when she did it or how but she now found herself down on her knees, pleading to Chris as his eyes burned a hole through her.

"Please don't do it" She said when she found her voice.

Shane turned his head to look at her and Edge grabbed him by the hair again and forced it down. She didn't look at Shane, her eyes were glued to Chris' as he looked down at her in anger.

"Get up Stephanie" Shane breathed in his coarse voice. "You don't have to kneel for these brutes, get up!" He commanded but Edge slammed his head once more and he was made to shut up.

"How would you like to die looking at the sweet face of your sister…" Edge laughed. She blocked him and the others out of her mind, only Jericho mattered.

His blue eyes were hard on her, the same eyes that gleamed into hers when they were in the brink of passion held nothing but hatred now, but was it for her?

"Someone take her out of here" Jericho's voice was flat and devoid of any emotion. His tone was cruel to her ears and she shivered at the memory of those same lips whispering her name in ardor behind closed doors. No, he shouldn't kill him.

"If you kill him all will be lost" She wasn't sure what she meant by that but it felt like the right thing to say. "This has turned into a cycle of recycled revenge and if you kill him it will never end" She felt someone grabbing her and putting her to her feet, but she refused letting her eyes brake away from Jericho's.

"Take her out" Jericho rasped and looked away from her.

She felt a wave of numbness hit her hard as she was lead out of the room. She wanted to say something, to do something but she just couldn't. She looked back at the person who was walking her out, maybe she could convince that one. It was Christian, and she knew there would be no point.

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The waiting never seemed to end. An eternity had passed by since Christian had left her in her room and still no news of Shane's fate was reported to her. She could always go back there and find for herself, it was not like she couldn't walk out. But she was afraid to do so.

So she had remained in the room looking out the window.

This room gave her a sense of solace and she didn't want to leave it. It was his room, now converted into hers. But it was still his too; his possessions were all over the place.

She was the only one occupying it as of late so did that make it hers alone? She wasn't sure and she didn't care. If he had killed her brother there was no way she could ever share anything with him, not ever. She would have to move… but where to?

The door began to open and she got up from the chair she had been sitting in. It was him; he went in without spending a glance at her and went straight to the washroom. She followed him to find him stripping out of his shirt.

"Did you kill him?" Her voice was surprisingly even as she observed him splashing water to his face. She made a point of watching his bloodless hands, that could be considered as a good sign but Edge could have done it instead, even Natalya… or Christian when he got back.

"No, I didn't" He responded in that flat tone of his.

"Did somebody else do it?" She found a bit of relief in the fact that he hadn't done it, but even Trish could have done it.

He dried his face, turned around and they were face to face, blue eye to blue eye. "He's alive" He brushed past her and strode into the chamber, leaving her behind.

Stephanie closed her eyes, letting relief wash over her. She stood there for a few moments before walking after him.

He was sitting at the edge of the bed; his head was cradled into his hands and his elbows resting in his thighs. She didn't like seeing him like that and she couldn't help but to feel for him, after all he had lost a dear friend not long ago. Lance didn't get his second chance as Shane had just done.

"We changed our plan" He said without shifting his position. "We are going to keep Shane and send you back to the castle instead"

Stephanie was making her way to him when he had spoken. She froze right on the spot as the words registered in her brain. "What?"

He had the decency to look at her. "Keeping you here was Lance's idea, now he's gone and I don't see why we should carry on with it. If we let Shane walk out of here this war will never end, he will gather his remaining warriors and keep on with his antics, I can't allow that to happen… We have a better chance at ending this with you back at the castle"

She had wanted to get back at the castle since the moment they had chased her into the forest, she had dreamed of the moment when she get to see her three M's, her mother, her father... So why she was feeling this emptiness now that she finally had the chance to get her dreams come true?

She swallowed hard, running her fingers through her hair. "So why did you agreed on marrying me if you had your mind set on getting rid of me as soon as the chance came?"

"The Council voted on it" He said flatly, as if it was not big deal for him. He had married her and ruined her life for a majority vote. How could she go back to the castle wed to a Canadian and expect her father to receive her with open arms? She was damaged goods for all he would care, and even if they broke the marriage and he accepted her back no one would take her _tainted_. She didn't want anyone else either.

She let out a bitter chuckle, her eyes prickled but she blinked the feeling away. Her mind was dancing in victory, but her heart was shriveling and dying in her chest. "When do you plan to send me home?" Home, she barely remembered the meaning of that.

His eyes were on her and she found it unbearable to look at him, she looked away. "We are going out on the morrow to look for Hunter. We already know where he's at and after we get him and judge him accordingly you'll be sent back. We all agreed that sending you back with him on the loose would be a serious mistake"

"I see you have it all planned out…" Her voice was restrained; it was an effort to force the words out her throat.

He didn't respond; he just stared at her and remained in silence, motionless.

"Fine then" She turned around and walked slowly towards the washroom. She wanted to run, but she forced her legs to a slow pace, a pace worthy of what she was, a Princess. Somewhere along her way she had forgotten that, but no more.

"Steph…" He called for her but she ignored him. She closed the washroom door behind her back and once in the solitude of the room she let the tears wash down her face.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Insomnia is my best inspiration! Lol

I know I've said this already, but here I go again… Thanks so much for the reviews, they make my day ;-)

This was supposed to be shorter; I don't know how it got to so many chapters! But I'm glad you are enjoying, hope you like this one too…

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Taking a deep breath to control the turmoil of emotions that had taken over her, Stephanie closed her burning eyes and pressed her back against the door; allowing the wooden barrier to hold her weight. With the back of her hand she wiped at the wet trail of shame that ran down her cheeks, and once her tears were dried she willed herself no to release any more.

If she hadn't cried when she had been taken out the Kingdom, there was no reason to cry now that she was finally going back.

She took another breath, this one an attempt to regulate the beating of her heart… it helped a little, but not by much. Even if she could manage to calm her frenzied heart to normalcy, there was no way she could organize all the thoughts running through her mind; she just could not focus her attention in any one of them without going on to the next one.

Her mind was a collage of thoughts; a collection of images that were all messed up and intertwined. There was Jericho and their short marriage at the top of them all, Shane's new chance at life in captivity, Hunter's wretched antics, her impending journey back to the castle, her father…

"Open the door Stephanie" His voice came loud and clear even when there was a wooded door separating them. He accompanied his words with a few knocks and she could feel the door trembling slightly with his efforts; her body moved in unison with it. She wanted to ignore him, but his voice echoed into her head and permeated in her brain.

He wanted her to open the door but there was no way she was going to do anything of the kind. She had let her armor slip away too easily back in that room the moment he told her he was going to send her away. She needed to clad herself back in it, it was the only thing she had left… she just didn't know how to put it back on. That was bad, but the worst part was that she couldn't explain why his decision had bothered her like it did.

"Come on Steph, open up…" He insisted.

"Just leave me alone" She answered in defeat, her tone broken and beat down.

What else did he want? He had taken everything that mattered from her, now that he was disposing of her the least he could do was grant her a little bit of privacy, she needed it to collect herself. If she had to face him she wanted to be in control of her emotions, thing that she was far from achieving at the moment.

She had been expecting to hear his voice utter a response, maybe a refusal, but when neither came she opened her eyes. It was dark in the washroom, but not enough as not to let her take in her surroundings. Sunset was yet to come and the dull light of a late afternoon illuminated poorly the room through the window. The thought rushed into her mind that ever since leaving the Kingdom she always found herself in the dark, or had it always been this way for her?

For a long moment she stood there, leaning against the door as silence and darkness consumed her whole. Had he complied to her request and left for good?

What if he did? Would her last memory of him be the one of him sitting at the corner of the bed while he stared at her with the intensity of his blue eyes? Would she ever see him again?

Jericho, the man she could have loved if given the time… or had that been Hunter? She wasn't sure anymore. Her mind was fussy and she didn't know for sure if Jericho had taken her away from Hunter or if Hunter had taken her away from Jericho. It didn't matter, nothing mattered.

Her hand found the knob but just lingered there while she waited. There was no sound coming through the other side or any other indication of him still being there. For all she knew he could have taken off already to hunt Hunter down and that way speed up her departure from Canada. He had no reason to keep her there, so why would he?

Slowly, she turned the knob and opened the door. She wanted to crawl into the bed and sleep all her worries away. Could be that when morning came she would feel better and more optimistic.

It wasn't to be that way; he always had a way for ruining her plans. As soon as she opened the door she found him standing right in front of her, arms folded against bare chest as he lifted his gaze off the floor to look at her.

She only had a few seconds to think, and during that brief period she played with the idea of closing the door on him and shut herself back into the washroom, this time indefinitely. But his hands moved quicker that her mind and before she could even decide on what to do he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out of the doorframe and back into the room.

"Let me go" She yelped in surprise, she didn't know what else to say.

"Why are you so upset? Isn't this what you wanted? You wanted your brother to live, I let him live. You wanted to go back to the castle; back to the castle you go… what else do you want?" He asked, his fingers still wrapped tight around her arm and his eyes surveying hers.

"That's exactly what I wanted, should I thank you now?" She spat refusing to let her heated gaze drift from his.

"Then why so upset?"

"I'm not upset" she lied; he had no reason to find out. "What I am is mad and tired of you using me to get what they want. I am not an object that you can toss around at your convenience"

"We are not tossing you around, what…" he started to say but she interrupted him.

"Of course you are! The only reason you are sending me back is to serve your interest and I don't even know what those are…"

"Our only interest is our people, their safety and well being. You are our best chance at achieving that. With you on the throne we can work together and secure the safety not only of Canada's people, but the Kingdom's as well"

"My father is not even dead and you are already thinking of me on the throne" She laughed but there was no real amusement in it. "You are a fool if you think the King would let me inherit his Throne"

She knew her father to be a proud man and the chance of him taking her back after she had bedded and married a Canadian was slim. And what if she was with child… She sent a silent plead to the Gods, begging them so that her previous though wouldn't become a reality. If that was to be the case she would find herself in a limbo, neither welcome at The Kingdom nor at Canada.

"Shane will remain here indefinitely, that makes you next in line. And while the King might be a lot of things he is not a fool. He already agreed to our first offer… and that one divided his country in half. He has no other choice but to accept to this one as well. When the time comes, you will rule and…"

She leaned into him, rising on her tiptoes a bit so that she could match his height. She was getting angrier by the minute, and she had a tendency of messing things up when she was angry. "I don't want to rule" She hissed to him in contempt. "Shane is supposed to rule, not me" She was only supposed to get a good marriage and have her happily ever after. They took that from her.

"And we all know what mess that could lead to" He replied.

She tried to sneak out of his hold but he grabbed her harder when she started to struggle. Why couldn't he just let her be. "You want to burden me with a cause that I care nothing at all. I don't care about your people, their safety or whatever their needs are. If it were for me I would have Hunter kill them all and be done with it"

"I don't believe what you are saying, you just don't have it in your heart to be like them" His tone was calm and even and it only made her angrier, he didn't know her and he should not make assumptions on her... "That's why we want you there"

"I can have you killed too"

That did ruffle him up. If it was possible, he tightened his grip even more and leaned into her. "You want me dead?" His voice was almost a whisper and his breath was warm on her face.

She had to swallow hard a lump that had formed in her throat. No, she didn't want him dead… but her voice wasn't in accordance with her brain. "Yes" She responded in defiance.

He took a moment to consider her words, a moment in which an uncomfortable silence took over them. Her heart was beating wildly and she was sure he could hear it too; it was the only sound in the room. She wanted to take those words back, to say something, anything to end the silence, but he was the one to break it.

"That's not the impression you give to me when you are writhing and moaning beneath me… or on top of me for that matter" He drew even closer, his unique scent wafting over her. She could feel her cheeks flushing and she hated him for making her so weak. "That's not what your body says to me when it trembles every time I touch you" He ran a finger down her spine to prove his point, and prove it he did because she shivered slightly when his fingers slipped underneath the fabric of her shirt to repeat the same action on her naked skin.

She wanted nothing more that to push him away… but she couldn't. Her back arched the slightness bit and she forced it to straighten up before speaking. "I had to do it or you would have my brother killed" her voice was low, too low for her taste.

His eyes were still on hers, studying her. He was way too close, their bodies touching as they had done countless times before. He quirked the corner of his mouth and his eyes lowered to find her biting on her lower lip. "Is that so?"

She nodded because she couldn't speak. He knew that she was blatantly lying. Bastard. His fingers were still underneath her shirt, running along her spine in a slight caress.

"I don't believe you" He said, his tone lower and lighter than it had been a moment ago.

"I don't care if you believe me or not" She tried in vain to get free of his hold once more. "Now let me go" She wanted to get away from him as soon as possible. She didn't trust herself when he looked at her like he was doing now.

There was lust on his blue eyes, she had seen that sparkle before and she could recognize it for what it was. She could also feel his lust through the fabric of his pants, taunting her with endless possibilities.

The sensation of him wanting her amid their heated discussion went right to her core. She didn't want to feel that way, not when he was about to get rid of her.

But the touch of his fingers on her back made her melt into nothingness, her body wanted her mind to give in. Maybe one last time before she went back to her previous life, the one she could barely remember. She could feel her cheeks burning; she was on the verge of losing her composure.

"No harm will come to your brother… now tell me that you don't want me to kiss you and I'll go"

She opened her mouth to reply but her words got caught in her throat when his lips found the spot on her neck that made her tremble with need, he ran his tongue along it and then nibbled at her skin. When had their arguing turned this way?

"Tell me that you don't want me deep inside of you right now and you will never see me again"

She shut her eyes. Gods helped her but she wanted him. She wanted him to kiss her, to bury himself deep inside of her so that she would be complete for one last time… but she knew she had to say the words, she needed to send him away. "It doesn't matter… if I want it or not…" Her voice came out in broken gasps. It didn't matter; he was going to send her away anyway.

"It matters to me" He said and she gasped when his hands went to her rear and he lifted her off the floor, she parted her legs and they circled his hips on instinct.

His mouth was still on her neck, moving upward towards her ear and she threw her head back to grant his lips even more access. She loved those lips and the way they made her feel.

This was the way it was meant to be, just the two of them giving into each other. Every time his lips found her skin there was no other thought in her mind. Shane didn't exist and neither did her father, she just needed to feel. She didn't want to rule the Kingdom or go back to the castle, she just wanted to stay with him, like this, getting lost in him, succumbing to the blossoming feelings his hands provoked when they touched her.

His back was hard under her hands and it rippled with effort as he walked carrying her. "Chris…" she whispered when he set her down on top of his desk. This was not right, she needed to make him stop but her legs were still wrapped around him, she didn't want to stop him.

His lips finally found hers, muffling and making her forget whatever she was going to say in the first place. He was kissing her deep and passionately and she couldn't help but to thrust her hips into him, craving for a more intimate contact. He moaned into the kiss and she tangled her fingers into his silky locks, pulling him closer and deeper into her mouth.

She knew it was wrong, but what damage could it bring? She had already given him her body and soul.

He pulled at her pants, sliding them effortlessly off her legs without breaking the kiss. The air was cool against her newly exposed flesh, but when his hands went to run along her thighs they set her skin on fire. She wrapped her legs even tighter around him, forcing him closer.

There was still the inconvenience of the rest of their clothes and she wanted them off so she could feel all of him against her. Her anger was long forgotten, she didn't want to think on what was to come, instead she wanted to concentrate in her present, their present.

His hands were all over her, his tongue exploring her deeply, he was making her feel wanton and she knew that no other man would ever make her feel like he did. She wanted to memorize him all, his skin, his scent, all of him so that she could take solace in the memory of him once she could not have him.

He grunted when a knock came at the door, disrupting what could be their final night together. They tried to ignore it at first, but it continued. He tore his lips away from her angrily and let out a curse. He looked at the door and then back at her, his eyes dark and wild. "Just ignore it" He took possession of her swollen lips again but the knocking was incessant. It didn't take long before a voice joined the knocking.

"Jericho… " It was Christian.

Jericho slid his hands underneath her, cupping her rear as he lifted her once more. He carried her to the next room and put her down on the bed, he lowered himself on top of her. Still, the knocking continued.

"I know you are in there" The other Canadian said, even in the farthest room his voice and his knocking interrupted them. "And I hope you are not getting any while I'm standing here"

They continued kissing and touching hungrily, refusing their unquenchable need to be interrupted by Christian's inopportune visit. But a time came when they were both getting distracted by the Canadian.

They only needed a few more minutes, if he would just go away…

"Chris Jericho… We have a new lead to follow and we have to go now, come on, we can't leave without you!" Damn the man.

With a sigh of frustration, she moved her lips away from his, her hands still running along his sides. "You should get that"

She didn't want him to get that, but he would… and then he was going to leave, she knew it. Even when he had said that they were leaving on the morrow. And the sooner he left the sooner they were going to send her back. It was too soon.

He rested his chin at the swell of her breast. Even through the fabric his breath felt hot against her, all his body felt hot ho her. She felt like crying.

She pressed her lips against his forehead when he cursed again and then ran her fingers through his hair.

Maybe they were never meant to be. That they met and found themselves entwined in this messy situation was only a cruel joke of the Gods. He belonged to the Council, to Canada, while she belonged at the castle.

"Jericho!"

"I'm coming!" He yelled back angrily. "God I'm going to kill that creepy little bastard one of these days" He pushed himself off her but pulled her with him so that she would sit. "We'll talk when I get back"

She nodded and gave him a slight smile. Talking was good; it could lead to something good, and it meant that she would see him again. He smiled back and kissed her before leaving with Christian.

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It was already nightfall when the knock came. Stephanie wasn't asleep but she remained motionless in bed for a moment before deciding to answer it. She had no idea who could it be and she made a few guesses as she made her way to the door. All that remained of the Council was Trish, and that was her best guess, the rest of them had just gone out a few hours ago.

She just hoped it wasn't bad news.

"Oh… it's you" Stephanie said in disdain as she saw the blonde Canadian standing at her door. "What do you want?"

Maryse rolled her eyes in her usual manner. "I was send here to get you ready. The Council is waiting for you"

"Aren't they out following a lead?"

The blonde just shrugged. "I'm just following orders, they told me to get you out there, and they want you to hurry"

Stephanie frowned.

"Make sure you get dressed up warmly because we're going to ride to them" Maryse took the liberty to enter the room and take a sit.

Stephanie found the whole ordeal strange but she went on to change in spite of her doubts. Once she was done she walked out to meet with Maryse. The blonde was still sitting in the same spot, a bored expression on her face.

"Let's make haste" She said when she saw Stephanie was ready. "The sooner we get this done the better"

Together they went out and down to the stable. Their horses were saddled and ready to mount. Stephanie was only a fair rider, and after all the riding she had made on her way to Canada she had enough for a lifetime. But she mounted the horse and didn't complain.

"What about Trish?" she asked. If the Council wanted to meet her wasn't she supposed to be there as well? Why didn't they wait until getting back to the city? Unless they were planning on sending her back that same night…

"Don't be silly, you know Canada doesn't send their entire Council members out at once"

She heard Maryse words, but she ignored them. She was sure by now they were going to send her back right now.  
She followed the Canadian out the gate and into the darkness of the night, her heart heavy in her chest.

Maryse broke into a fast gallop and Stephanie had no choice but to accelerate her pace. It was dark and she didn't know her way around, she didn't want to fall behind. She wondered why they couldn't wait until morning; day would make it a lot easier to bear, as darkness had a way of polluting things. At least she would get to see him.

It didn't take that long before she spotted their camp, there was a fire in it to guide their way. Once again she found herself wondering, why would they make camp being so close to the city?

There was something odd going on. She slowed her pace.

Maryse got to the camp first and was by now dismounting. She studied the camp and that was when she saw him and he saw her. She stopped the horse abruptly.

He smiled at her and walked towards her direction. Stephanie felt time stop altogether for a moment before continuing with its cruel reality. "Stephanie… it was about time I got to see that pretty face of yours once again"

Stephanie could feel her eyes growing wider and wider on her face. She couldn't speak and only limited herself to stare at the approaching man. She knew she ought to turn around and gallop as fast as the wind let her, back to Canada if she could find her way.

Maryse… that little bitch.

"Hey Batista!" Hunter called and the muscular man emerged from the darkness to join him. "Look who made her way back to us"

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

Thanks for the reviews, I love them all!

This chapter is a little bit short; it's really a kind of fill in for later on.

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She didn't want to be afraid anymore.

But the thing about fear was that once it knew your face it never really abandoned you. It just lay dormant, and while it might had fooled you to think that you had conquered it and grew stronger from it, it was really waiting for a cataclysm to show its ugly face once more and take control of your every cell. It was then when you realize that it had crawled under your skin and settled deep inside of you; that it had feasted on your entrails until there was nothing inside of you but fear itself.

She wanted to banish that feeling out of her system, or maybe to lock it somewhere where it wouldn't bother her anymore. This was Hunter, the man she had contemplated to spend the rest of her life with; the man destiny had put on her path once again. If it weren't for the fact that the Canadians had taken her away she would by now be his wife. She had no reason to fear him, but for some reason she did.

In the past, back in her previous life he had been nothing but gallant towards her, a real gentleman that in spite of his reputation only treated her right. But this was not the past, it was the present and in this strange present his eyes were unkind and his smile seemed false as a pink elephant.

Had his nose always been that big?

"Aren't you glad to see me?" He said without taking his cruel eyes away from hers.

She gave him what she believed to be a sweet smile, it felt phony on her face and the effort of it made her cheeks ache. She was afraid it came out as a grimace. She had to play well the cards that destiny had given her and wait to see where it would lead her.

"Of course I am" The smile was still plastered on her face and when he reached for her to help her down the horse and his hands circled around her waist, she had to suppress a shiver that ran down her spine.

Hunter, or Triple H as some called him was the best warrior the Kingdom had; some would even be bold enough as to claim that he was the best warrior in all the Seven Kingdoms. He was well built, amazingly skilled and was an authoritarian figure to the rest of the warriors. After noticing his great potential, the King had named him Commander in Chief and promised his daughter, that being her, in marriage.

Tales of his _heroic deeds_ preceded him and Stephanie was sure some of those tales would be put in writing on the Kingdom's future history books, he was that damn good. She was also pretty much sure that he would make an appearance in some of Canada's books as well, depicted as the epiphany of evil.

He was dubbed The Game, The Cerebral Assassin; the commoners loved him and young warriors aspired to be like him. His weapon of choice was a dreadful war hammer that was too ugly to look at, but he also carried a smaller sledgehammer with him all the time, claiming it was more practical, effective and easier to carry for smaller _jobs_. Overall, he was no man to mess with.

_That didn't prevent the Canadians to score a victory over him… they even took down one of his best men, not to say the Prince as well. _The reasonable part of her brain told her. _He's not invincible_.

But she was just a lamb trapped in the lion's den; she didn't know how to play this game. She was walking on thin ice and it could break under her feet. It was going to break, she could feel it.

Once he lowered her to the ground he leaned to her and kissed her. His chastising lips were hard and demanding and she had to swallow a gasp when he invaded the insides of her mouth. She wanted to pull away, this was nothing like the sweet kisses they used to share; it was nothing like Chris' kisses… It didn't felt right, he didn't felt right.

Fortunately he pulled away soon enough to take a good look at her. "Look at you Princess; you look like one of them"

Stephanie looked down to her clothes and then back at him. She had dressed in warm clothes just like Maryse, the gibbering bitch had told her to. She shrugged and flipped at her hair with a roll of her eyes. "What can I say, this savages had nothing better for me and I didn't want to go around naked, it's cold in this wasteland"

He laughed out loud at that and she grinned, it was easier than smiling.

"That's my girl" He threw his arm over her shoulder and walked with her to the camp. Batista fallowed like a silent shadow.

If she could only keep on with this... But it took great effort on her part not to push him away and tell him not to touch her; this was going to be hard. She focused her attention on her surroundings, trying to ignore the man at her side. Maryse was nowhere to be found, somewhere amidst her exchange of words with Hunter she had taken off. Not far she assumed because her horse was still there. She wanted a word with the blonde, hell, she wanted more that a word with her.

There were a few warriors scattered around the camp going about their business. Some of them she knew by sight and a few others by name, all of them strangers to her either way.

"So did my father send you for me?" She asked for lack of something better to say. She could only hope that it had been the case, but deep in her heart she knew that if her father would send for someone it would be Shane, The Crown Prince and not her.

Hunter wavered and took his moment before answering. "The King and I kind of lost contact the moment he signed for my head to be delivered in a silver plate to the savages"

Her heart stopped. Had he rebelled against the King? That was no good, fear was taking control of her once again and she was unable to say anything at all. The most dangerous thing in the world was a man with nothing to lose.

"The King is old and useless; he's leading the Kingdom rapidly into a pit. He made some terrible choices that will cost him dearly. But you and I, we're going to make things right. Once we marry we are…"

Stephanie did a double take on that. "I'm already married Hunter" She couldn't marry him, even if she wanted to, and she didn't. It was against her Gods' way, she was not going to mess with the Gods, even though when they had messed with her...

He stopped in his tracks and glared down at her. "Oh yeah, that. Guess we'll have to make you a widow… but don't worry, that won't be hard; Canadians aren't that hard to kill" He continued to walk and she had no choice but to walk by his side. "As I was saying, once we marry, we'll take control of the Kingdom. It will be historic, the start of a new era. Hunter, King of Kings… I like that. We might even conquer Canada"

The man had clearly lost his mind since the last time she saw him down in that dungeon. That night he had walked her to the castle's door so that no harm would come to her… now he wanted to kill Jericho as he had killed Lance.

"What about Shane, are you going to get him out of Canada too?"

He snickered. "Shane can rot in there as far as I'm concerned. He's just a nuisance; as long as he's around we won't be able to take the Throne. I would kill him myself if it needed to be done"

She blinked her shock away. He was talking of getting rid of her father, killing her brother and Chris and he actually expected her to agree with it all?

She couldn't help but to tense under the weight of his arm, thing that he noticed because he halted and faced her. "What?" He snapped.

"I don't want you to kill them" She said, simple as that. She didn't want him to kill any of them. He didn't like that because he grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked hard at it to force her head back.

She gasped both in shock and in pain.

He leaned into her, his reddened face inches away from hers. "What you want doesn't matter. You lost that privilege the moment you started to wallow around with that savage. You are lucky I'm willing to take your worthless ass back after you whored to the likes of him" He gave another yank that sent to her brain a horrible stab of pain, it made her eyes water. "But be sure about this, Princess, I'm going to take extra pleasure in killing him, and I'm going to make you watch" With that he pushed her away and left fuming. He was gone before she could even blink.

She stumbled clumsily into Batista and he grabbed her by the arm to steady her. She pulled angrily away from him and shot him a heated glare. "Don't you dare touch me" At least she wouldn't have to pretend anymore.

The tall dark haired man just stared down at her with eyes of steel before following Hunter like the dog that he was. Once they were both gone she was left alone with a pounding scalp and a wary heart.

Not for the first time in the last month or so she wondered why destiny had let her life turn for the worse so abruptly, it complicated her existence.

The warriors that were around ignored the scene that had just taken place and continued with whatever they were doing before. Stephanie took a good look at them, all of them traitors. If she ever got the chance to get out of here and back to the Kingdom… without Hunter that was, she was going to have them all hang.

"If I were you I would try not to piss him off, he's been in a rotten mood as of late"

Stephanie turned around to face the insolent man that was talking to her. He was one of the Kingdom's warriors, she had seen him before but she didn't know his name. His face she did recognize, it was hard to forget him. The skin of his arms was covered in tattoos of all kinds and colors; he also had a few piercings on his face. He had yet black hair that lengthened down to his shoulders and his eyes were always glistening in amusement. Even though he was smiling warmly, to her he was just another traitor.

"Keep your advice to yourself, I don't need it"

He smiled more widely. "Sure, I noticed… anyway, I'm Punk" He smiled to her but she turned and walked away from him. Where to? Anywhere were she could be alone and wonder about her fate.

"Where are you going?" He said catching up to her and walking by her side. What a pest.

She sighed in annoyance. "Did he send you to watch over me?" She asked with her hands on her hips. If that had been the case it was way better than Hunter himself taking care of her, but still... "If that's so you can go away, I'm not going to sneak out" Just because she didn't knew how to go back, maybe when morning came.

"Oh he didn't send me" He said and put a hand on her back so that she would keep walking. She did.

"Then why are you following me?" Was he another freak like Kurt, he looked the part… well kind of. She stopped, not wanting history to repeat itself. "What do you want?"

"Why? I'm just trying to help you. Maybe find a way to get you out of here when Hunter and his cronies aren't watching… I don't think it would be possible tonight but we'll see"

"Are you serious?" Stephanie didn't want to believe him. When things seemed to be too good to be true they certainly weren't true.

"Sure I am. That's why I was sent here. To get you back"

Back? "Did Chris send you?" Hope was the last thing one would lose, even when deep in your heart you knew it to be impossible.

"Chris?" He frowned and gave her a quizzical look. "No, it was your father, The King"


	16. Chapter 16

A big thanks to DarkZoul and PhoenixO'Neil09, you guys rock my world! Sadly, I'm rushing this to an end! I think I dragged it for too long and it begs for a conclusion. Hopefully I'll get to post the final chapter within the next week :-)

Warning! This chapter is not nice and kind of violent…

~*~*~*~*

From the corner in the room where she was sitting, Stephanie observed in silence the way Hunter paced back and forth around the room. During the time she had been there, he must have stridden the equivalent distance that divided Canada and The Kingdom and then some more, all within the confinements of the room. He was beyond angry and she didn't dare to take her eyes away from him in case he would halt his frantic pacing and lash at her; she was ready for it but so far he hadn't even looked at her.

He had been at it for a while now and she wondered how much longer it would take him to remember that she was still there.

His brow was wrinkled into countless worry lines and his breathing was coming out in forcefully puffs that made him resemble a rabid beast. She was pretty much sure that the air that wrapped around him was ten degrees higher and increasing in intensity rapidly. But even though he made for an intimidating sight, she had to be glad that his attention wasn't focused on her, nor was his wrath.

It sounded odd, but the Gods had graced her with Maryse's presence so that Hunter's attention wouldn't be on her.

"Why aren't they here yet?" His tone sounded low and calm, but Stephanie could feel the anger it carried well enough. She had been studying him for the past days, observing his mood swings and as of now she could read him like an open book.

By their second day on the road Hunter started to become paranoid. He felt menacing shadows giving them pursuit and lurking at every turn ahead of them; more often than not Stephanie noticed him seeking for them in the darkness with his prying eyes.

As irritable as the whole deal made him, Stephanie was glad paranoia was eating him whole. Since he had no conscience to bug him at least the Gods gave him something that did.

He was reluctant of sleeping in the open so he did not sleep for two nights in a row. It only made him more paranoid and irritable but she had hoped that in his distressed mental state she could get the chance to make for an escape.

Punk had said he was going to help her but since that first night she could not find the opportunity to have another talk with him. Hunter might be too occupied driving himself crazy with shadows that weren't there, but Batista's eyes were always on her, watching in silence.

As time went by she decided that Batista was a problem, and in her mind she played with numerous scenarios to get rid of him. They ranged from the most silly and ridiculous to the outright macabre, none of them would do.

Then came the third day and with it her biggest problem. That day Hunter had emerged with renewed good spirits; he had even invited her to ride at his side so he could recite to her his plans of grandeur and glory, plans that according to him they were going to achieve together. There had been no mention of his outburst of anger towards her.

Apparently, the previous night had given him the revelation that the only way to ease his mind was ambushing the Canadians into a trap so the shadows would leave him alone.

That's how they ended up raiding and taking residence in a small Canadian village they found on their way back to The Kingdom. That had been two nights ago; two awful nights in which she had found little to no sleep at all.

They had killed some of the residents and let the others go so that they could run to Canada and seek for the Council's help. For sure the fools were going to hurry themselves into the village to fight them off, that was what Hunter had said, no remorse showing on his face.

"This is not going to work, you already succeeded with this once and got one of them killed, they are not stupid enough to fall for it twice" Maryse responded with her thick accent. "They'll come; but they'll come in silence, quiet as shadows so they can catch you off guard. Who knows, maybe they are already here…" The Canadian flipped at her hair and smiled mischievously at Hunter.

Hunter stopped cold in his track and stared at Maryse, for a moment there Stephanie thought he was going to hit the blonde woman, but all of a sudden a sadistic smile twisted his lips. "You think they are near?"

"I can pretty much assure you they are" With a cocky grin she turned her head a little to the side so that she could face Stephanie. "They tend to all complains their villagers bring to them… there's that and they are not going to let go Jericho's little toy…"

Whatever Maryse was going to say was cut short when Hunter hit her across the face. The Canadian's head gave a violent turn that made Stephanie wince.

Hunter walked away from her and toward the door. "That's the first one I'm going to kill, and then I'll have fun with the one that killed Orton" With that he was gone and Stephanie found herself alone with a very pissed Maryse.

"And for that you turned on your people, you are worse than him"

Maryse glared at Stephanie, there was blood on her swollen lips and she wiped at it with the back of her hand. There was a mocking grin on her face that made her look kind of mad. "And for what you turned on yours?"

"I never turned my back on them…" Stephanie started to say.

The blonde only laughed. "Ask one of the Kingdom's loyalists and they'll tell you otherwise while claiming for your head. How do you think they took it when the news arrived to them that sweet, innocent princess Stephanie McMahon was spreading her legs to a Canadian?"

Stephanie stood up from the wooden chair and opened her mouth to reply, but Maryse wasn't finished up yet.

"I wasted half my life in the Council; I was brought there as an apprentice and I was paying up my dues to become one of the Council's Highs" She laughed bitterly. "It was all for nothing, because you came out of nowhere to ruin everything. I earned my spot, you took it"

Maryse was crazy, just as Hunter was, but by now Stephanie knew how to push her bottoms. Long ago were the days where she would let Maryses put her down.

"And now what? You brought me here and you're still my second best. In or out of Canada you will be nothing but a lackey"

Maryse reacted angrily at Stephanie's words and slapped her hard on the face. That would make twice the times the Canadian had struck her and Stephanie wasn't going to let it slip away. Last time they ended up burning her cell down so she wondered if this time something of the sort would happen.

She hit the woman back, right on the spot Hunter had done minutes earlier. It tore a yelp from the Canadian and before Stephanie could consider her inexplicable savage manners the two got engaged in battle of fists that would make her mother faint in distress.

Stephanie had never got into a fight before, she wouldn't have even consider it, but she'll be damned if she let Maryse get the best of her.

"What's going on here?" Stephanie halted to see Hunter getting back into the room and Maryse took the opportunity to shove her hard. She ended up falling down on her rear.

She didn't think it twice and later on she might be sorry, but not now. "She's tending you a trap Hunter, she's still with the Savages" She was amazed at how easy it came out.

Hunter's flaming eyes turned from one woman to the other. "You little bitch!" He reached for the back of his pants and took out his infamous sledgehammer. Maryse's eyes widened in disbelieve as she looked down at Stephanie.

Stephanie's blue eyes looking back at hers was the last thing the blonde saw because Hunter buried the thing into the Canadian's skull and Maryse was no more. Blood splattered everywhere and some of it landed warm and sticky onto Stephanie.

The princess gasped as she looked down on her bloodied clothes, there was more of it on her hands and she could even feel drops of it sliding down her cheeks. She wiped at her face frantically, she could feel her body trembling and she wanted nothing more than to run out of there.

'_I killed her' _she mumbled to herself. She might have not swung the blow that did it, but she was the one that made it happen.

Hunter pulled out of Maryse his favorite weapon of destruction and hit her again, mutilating what was left of her face. Stephanie took that moment to get to her feet. She took a piece of pottery that rested on top of a nearby table, it must had belong the owner of the house, was he one of the murdered or was he among the group that left to look for help? It didn't matter, she broke in on Hunter's head and bolt out of the room.

Outside the day was bright and she had to close her eyes for a few seconds until they could adjust. She never stopped running, for all she knew Hunter could be at her heels. She tried to remember what house she had seen Punk taking; she had made sure to notice just in case.

Right now she couldn't remember which one was Punk's, so she ran distracted, thinking on what had just happened and when her body collapsed into a huge mass of muscle and flesh she yelped. She knew everything to be over.

It was Batista and he was going to kill her, no… he was going to take her back into the house so that Hunter would do it. That was it, her life was going to culminate in Canada as she had though it would at the beginning of it all, only that the one killing her was a different savage.

Batista looked down at her and said nothing, he never did. Stephanie backed away from him and walked away. She didn't take her eyes away from him and neither did he take his away from her, but when she was at a safe distance she turned from him and continued running away.

She was too afraid to look back to check if he was chasing after her, but if he was she would already be dead. Maybe he went back to get Hunter…

She ran through the small village. Some of the warriors that were outside stared at her, she knew she must be an image, running all bloodied and wild eyed as if the devil was at her heels… But she didn't care, she could now remember where to look for Punk and that was where she was heading to, and when she got to the house she went in unannounced.

As she hoped he would, Punk was there, but he was with another warrior. Stephanie got apprehensive as she saw the dark-chocolate skinned young man but when Punk got to his feet and walked to her she forgot altogether about the other man.

"What happened?" He asked in concern, taking in her appearances.

"You have to take me out of here now" She managed to said between gasps. "He'll kill me"

Punk ran a hand through his black hair and stood in silence for a short while. "All right, um Koffy go get two horses and meet me at the back of the church, no get three, you are coming with us"

The one called Koffy nodded and left.

"Tell me what happened?"

Stephanie told Punk all of what happened, even the part were Batista let her run away without much of a word. It took him by surprise but he didn't dwell much on it. When she was done he took her by the hand and walked to the door. "I hope you are a fast runner because the church is quite far"

"Then we better hurry" She wanted out, anywhere but here will do just fine.

So they went out and they ran; just as before no resistance was made by any of the warriors that were still outside. As Punk had promised their path was long and when they where half the way Stephanie was already out of breath.

She kept running anyway, she had to keep up with Punk as he was dragging her along the way. But all of a sudden he stopped on his track and she collapsed against him.

She was going to ask what was going on, had Hunter found them? But then she looked up front and saw him. It was not Hunter nor Batista, but a colored haired man she meet some time ago.

His face was painted in an extravagant fashion and Stephanie remembered that he had painted his face in the same manner when Canada went to war with the Kingdom; they had taken Shane prisoner that day.

Punk guarded Stephanie behind him and as if on cue a commotion broke somewhere in the distance.

"I'm not armed" Punk raised his arms as if to prove he was not lying.

Jeff let the bow he was carrying drop to the ground. "Better yet, I'm always up for a one on one combat"

This was wrong, Jeff shouldn't fight Punk, they should all get out of there and away from Hunter. "No, Jeff you don't have…"

"Shut up" The colored haired man said to her in disdain. "You shouldn't have sneak on us to join this people"

"What?" Stephanie asked confused, but before Jeff could respond Punk sprung forward and kicked Jeff right on the stomach.

That was when chaos erupted all around her. Punk and Jeff were fighting each other and out of nowhere Hunter's warriors emerged from their hiding places and started to fight off the invaders.

It was all a mess, there were men all over the place and in her distress she could not tell who was friend and who was foe.

There were arrows flying all around, men were battling with swords or with their mere fists, there was even one with a spear and when she focused her eyes on him she saw it was Edge.

She didn't know what to do or where to go. She knew Jericho must be there and the idea of looking for him amidst all the men was disrupted when an arrow brushed her leg. She yelled, even when it hadn't even touched her properly, it had been close. She had to look for a someplace safe and she remembered the Church and Punk's friend.

Along her way she saw in horror that Christian was fighting some young warrior, there were a few arrows sticking out of his back and side and she couldn't help but to think of Trish waiting in Canada for news of what happened. That he was hurt didn't stop him a bit, he killed the warrior whit a clean cut to the throat. She decided to look away and keep running.

That was when she felt it, a piercing stab at her side. She looked down in astonishment, there was an arrow there and she touched where it joined her flesh. Her fingers came out bloodied and she held her hand in front of her face, not quite believing what was going on.

"You should had known better than to turn on me"

Stephanie went down on her knees, not recognizing the voice that was talking to her. It sounded far and distorted in her ears and only when the owner of the voice knelt in front of her and she saw his face she realized what had just happened.

She was not afraid anymore.

He grabbed for the arrow and pushed it even more into her. "We could have been great" He twisted the arrow inside of her and she sobbed in pain. "I could have made you into the greatest queen there ever was"

Stephanie's vision was blurring and she had problems focusing. Whiteness seemed to be taking all that surrounded her as an excruciating pain took over her.

She closed her eyes, wanting to give in, to let the whiteness take over her and carry her away. She could feel her life's essence slipping away from her and down her side; this was going to be it. She thought of her mother and her father back at the Kingdom, waiting for Punk to get her home, of her three M's, all alone in this cruel world, of Shane in his cell. She thought of _him_, her favorite savage… and it saddened her that she would not get the chance to look at his face one last time.

But then she opened her eyes and stared right into the man's evil eyes, so different from the ones she dreamed most of her nights. She wanted to say something, but before the words could form in her mind an arrow came out of nowhere and implanted itself in Hunter's forehead.

More blood splattered on her. It didn't matter, Maryse's, Hunter's, hers, it just didn't matter. She just watched with an eerie calmness as his lifeless body fell to the side. Why did they get to die so quickly while she was left agonizing?

The Gods must hate her that even a quick death was denied to her.

She felt someone grabbing her and lifting her up. The motion sent pain all over her body and grunted her discomfort. She closed her eyes and listened to someone mumbling at her, she didn't understand a word and for a moment she thought it was Maryse talking to her in that gibbering language of hers while she carried her to hell.

She opened her eyes to look at her; death had made her stronger because when the woman was alive she couldn't have carried her like this. She focused her eyes and saw that it was not Maryse, the woman didn't have those beautiful blue eyes, not that it mattered now.

She closed her eyes and the light that came to her was not white, but black, and it swallowed her whole.


	17. Chapter 17

This is it! I want to thank PhoenixO'Neil09, TakerTakeMe, DarkZoul, Renna33 & Takers dark Lover, you guys are the best! Also a big thanks to everyone who reviewed at some point or another, to those of you who favorite it, put on alert and read this little piece I came up with.

A/N - I wanted to give this a happy ending, but it's just something I'm not good at! Conclusions… I'm not good at them either so I hope this turns out ok.

I tried to tie up some lose ends but could be that my mind blocked more away, sorry if that happened.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

When Stephanie opened her eyes everything spun dizzily around her, the room's proportions were distorting under her gaze as she tried to focus the image before her. With a grunt of displeasure she closed her eyes back again and waited until the chamber settled back to stillness, but when a sense of normalcy finally came back to her she decided to keep her blue orbs shut, just in case.

There was vivid chattering around her, people talking in undistinguished voices that were too loud for her senses; she wrinkled her nose as if the mere action would make the noises fade out, if it would only be that easy. There was even some cursing going on and she concluded right then that she was definitely not dead.

Back at the castle, Priest Michaels liked to recite at mass that Heaven held only peace to those who were embraced by the Gods, that the only thing that disrupted the sepulchral silence that reigned in that divine paradise were cute little cherubs that sang to you in their heavenly voices, and that was far from these annoying noises… unless she was sent straight to hell. Then where were the eternal flames?

With her eyes still closed she attempted to stand up, but way before she could even manage a sitting position a terrible pain snaked up to her side, forcing her back to the soft surface she had been resting upon. She opened her mouth to give a little cursing of her own but the words died before they could roll out of her lips, only a raspy grunt came out.

"Look who just woke up to accompany you in your agony" Came a woman's voice that she knew too well.

She opened her eyes and this time the room didn't move a bit, thankfully. For a while she just laid there, staring up at the ceiling as the pain on her right side kept on throbbing. She bit hard on her lower lip and took a deep breath, a futile attempt to lessen the pain.

She had been hurt with an arrow, she remembered now. She had been hurt by Hunter as she tried to escape the madness that had taken place back in the village. Of what she was not sure was on how bad the wound was, although she had helped with some wounded warriors she had never been wounded herself.

Her only solace was that Hunter was dead.

She lifted her left arm and ran her fingers through her cool brow, lack of fever was a good sign… at least she guessed so. The arm felt heavy and it trembled a bit, but she thought it wasn't so bad, or that was until she tried to lift the right one. An excruciating bolt of pain came over to her and she had to shut her eyes once again as she moaned her discomfort away.

"Try not to move much" The voice came again, this time closer. "It hurts like a bitch but you'll live through it. Here, drink this"

Stephanie felt the woman's hands on her, pulling her up into a sitting position while she grumbled. "What are you doing?" Her throat was dry, but the discomfort of speaking up was drowned by the pain of moving caused her.

Her glassy eyes flew open to find Lita in front of her, her clothes were covered in blood and she was nearing a cup to her lips; she had no choice but to swallow its contents. The liquid was foul to the taste and the only thing that prevented her from retching was the thought that it would cause her too much pain to do so.

"What's that?" Stephanie asked trying not to gag.

"The hell if I know, these guys think I'm a damn healer, I have to fix you, I have to fix him…" She sighed. "I only know that it would lessen the pain away. Jeff made it"

"I'll tell you what I know" Another voice. With an effort she looked to the side and saw a pale looking Christian sitting on a bed next to hers, his back and part of his side was covered up with some bloodied gauzes, he was drinking out of a flask. "There's no way I'll ever drink anything Jeff makes… or Matt for that matter. This is doing the work just fine" He took another swallow and made a grimace.

"The only thing that would make you is drunk" Lita said and Christian shrugged.

"Better yet, that way I'll be unconscious when Trish kills me…"

"Believe me, if she hasn't killed you yet, she's not going to do it over you getting hurt" Lita replied with a roll of her eyes.

"That's what you say, but before we left she warned me that she was going to do it if I got hurt, it was going to be worse if I died…"

Christian was interrupted abruptly when the door banged open. The suddenness of it made Stephanie jump in surprise, it only provoked more pain. All at once she saw everything take place; Christian trying to get up only to fall back with a grunt, Lita reaching for a lance an assuming a fighting pose and two men entering the room, armed. None of them really caught her attention like the man who sprung to his feet at the corner of the room. He had been sitting there in silence until the intruders appeared; she hadn't seen him until now.

"We came to take the Princess back to the castle in the name of the King" Punk and Kofi hadn't seen him either and he took the opportunity to slide swiftly to them and catch them by surprise.

He grabbed Punk by the shirt and slammed him hard against the wall. "I don't think so" But as swiftly as he had caught them, Kofi approached him from behind and pressed his blade against the Canadian's throat.

It all happened so fast, but as bad as that was it got even worse when Lita put the edge of her lance at the base of Kofi's neck. "Put it down" The redhead said coolly.

A scene of madness was taking place in that room and it promised to end tragically. "Chris, I'm not…" she closed her eyes for a moment and ran her fingers through her brow once more. "Let him go"

It only made Jericho clench Punk even tighter, he didn't seem to mind the blade that menaced to cut through his skin.

"I said put it down or I'll make this go all the way through" Lita said more menacing this time.

"You put yours down or I'll slice him open" Kofi replied in the same manner.

"Put it down Kofi, I'm sure we can talk about this like civilized people" Punk said and Kofi backed away from Chris.

Lita put her lance down too but Chris kept his hold on Punk. "Just let us take her back. You were about to send her to the castle anyway… I'll make sure to reiterate to the King your willingness to make peace with the Kingdom"

Stephanie observed expectantly. The first night Punk came to her she had told him about her situation with the Canadians and their plans of sending her back as a way of keeping peace. He had listened in silence and was now using that information to his advantage.

"When we decide to send her back I'll take her myself" Jericho said in a low voice. "Go back to your King and tell him that" With that he let go of him and backed a few steps, he never took his eyes from the black haired man.

Punk steadied himself and considered for a minute. He looked at Kofi for a long while, communicating without words. "Pretty fair then, I'll just have a word with the Princess" he said and started to make his way to her. He didn't even managed two steps before Jericho blocked his way.

"The door's at the other side"

Punk smiled. "Look man, I'm trusting on your word here, the least you could do is let me pass and talk to her"

Jericho remained unmoving, delving deep into the eyes of the man that had been willing to help her when she had been in danger. "Be quick" Jericho said and let him pass.

Punk glanced back at Kofi and nodded to him, the other man nodded back and walked out of the room. Once Kofi was out Punk went to her and sat at her side. He leaned forward and talked to her so low that she had to lean to him too to get to hear him.

"I think this might be the last time we'll see each other, so I want to give you something before I leave"

Stephanie shook her head. "What do you mean; I'll see you when I get back to the castle" Jericho had said it; he had his mind set on sending her back to her father, only that he was going to do it himself.

She still had mixed feelings about that. She knew now that her father was willing to take her back, he even sent Punk to get her.

He smiled to her. "I don't think that's ever going to happen, at least not in a long time"

Stephanie drew back a bit. Curiously the pain had diminished to a slight throb. Whatever Lita had given to her was really working.

"I don't get it" Stephanie said, but when Punk was about to reply a deafening shriek interrupted them. This time Christian managed to get to his feet, Lita lost her grip on the lance and Chris jumped a step back as a wisp of a woman ran her way into the room.

Before Stephanie could do much as blink her shook away a mass of brown hair attacked her as the woman jumped into the bed with her to embrace her in an asphyxiating hug.

It renewed her pain but she welcomed it. "How?" She asked as she hugged the woman back.

"Oh Princess I'm so glad to see you again, it was such a long journey and we had to ride so much and we came to this village and we meet had these girls and I thought they were so nice until Punk told me they were whores, can you imagine. Oh and did you know that there is a creature that roams in the night? It's called the Boogie man; Maria was scared but then Punk…"

"Maria's here too?" Stephanie asked as she took Mickie's face between her hands to take a good look at her; she wanted to make sure it was really her. She looked the same, but so different at the same time. "How did you manage to convince her out of the castle?"

"She didn't have to, I wanted to come" Came the shy voice from the doorway. She looked in that direction and saw Maria with her huge eyes looking back at her. Melina was there too, standing next to Maria with a slight smile on her face.

"Melina too?" Stephanie gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Was this a dream? The throb on her side told her it wasn't, but it felt like it.

"It was written in the stars that we would meet again" Said the black haired woman as she walked towards her.

Stephanie smiled as the two women that had grown up with her went to embrace her too. She felt silly, there she was, Gods only knew where, wounded and with a stupid smirk on her face. She had missed them and she told them so. Punk was still sitting on the bed, so it made for a pretty crowded bed. Stephanie had never been happier.

Mickie was still clinging to her and she took Melina's and Maria's hands in her left hand. "You brought the three M's all the way here?" She said incredulous. "How could you sneak them out of the castle?"

Punk winked at her and Mickie giggled. Stephanie waited but the response never came. If Mickie hadn't said anything there was small chance that Melina would. She could push Maria to it, but she wasn't going to, at least not now.

"I brought you three, but I only mean to leave you two" Punk said and took Maria's free hand in his. The redhead looked abashed, her cheeks flaming and her eyes casted down. It didn't take long for her to realize what was going on. "If you will, of course"

"Well, what does Maria wants?" She asked to her younger M.

"I want whatever pleases you, your highness" She responded without lifting her face.

It had been long since anyone called her like that and a laugh escaped her lips. It died as a grunt when the motion bothered her wound. She leaned into Maria and kissed both her cheeks. "You are free to do as you please"

There were things that never changed. Mickie was still this hyper bundle of joy, Melina still kept to her mysterious ways while Maria was… well, Maria, always fearful and worried. She was surprised to learn she made all this way without dying of fright, but then again she had Punk…

When she heard Stephanie's response, the younger woman's eyes lighted up and she smiled before jumping forward to hug her. The moment was ruined though when Christian cleared his throat loudly and said. "I've never felt so out of place in my life, help me up Lita"

"Why don't you ask Jericho!" Lita complained.

"Because you are family, Edge's woman…"

Lita smacked the back of the Canadian's head. "Don't make me kick your ass blondie, God knows that I only refrain for Trish… but I'm this close"

Lita put his arm on her shoulders to help him walk to the door. Stephanie followed their progress with her gaze as they argued their way out of the room. And once they were gone her eyes rested on Jericho. He was standing with his arms folded against his chest; his eyes fixed on hers, all of a sudden the room felt way too crowded.

The three M's were talking all at once in excitement but all her senses were focused on Jericho. After all the events that had taken place there were a lot of things she wanted to say to him, things that she had realize during their time apart, even when they had been there all the time.

"Girls, I bet there's a lot you want to catch up with the Princess, but she's hurt and needs her rest" Punk said getting off the bed.

Stephanie was too euphoric to rest, it all still felt like a dream, it was surreal, but she did want a talk with Jericho. The three M's protested at Punk's words, especially Mickie, but they all kissed her and walked away. She made Punk promise her not to leave with Maria without saying goodbye.

Once they were alone Jericho spoke to her for the first time. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm great" She said even though the pain was still there, bugging the hell out of her. But she did felt great, she was alive, the three M's were there and most importantly, he was there.

"Great. Do you want anything, water?" He asked running his fingers through his stubble and for a moment there Stephanie thought he looked nervous.

No, she was the one who was nervous. "I'll have whatever Christian was drinking"

He snickered but went for it anyway. When he walked to her and handed her the flask she grabbed his arm instead and motioned him to sit at her side. He did, and once he was sitting there at her side she took the flask and swallowed a sip.

It burned her throat and made her eyes water, it was an awful thing but at least it wiped from her mouth the foul taste of Jeff's concoction. She coughed up and winced at the pain it brought to her, but when she was about to take another sallow Jericho took the flask away.

"I think that's enough" He put it aside and turned to face her.

She had missed those eyes on her. She had been afraid of never getting the chance to look at them and now that they were on hers she could do nothing more than to stare back at them.

In fact she missed everything about him, his eyes were only the beginning. Her longing went to his lips and then down to his hands to the way his skin felt against hers. She had missed his voice and his scent and they way her body reacted to him.

"You scared me out there" He said taking her hand in his, she was too entranced with him to know what he was talking about. "When I saw you go down I thought that was it…"

"Don't take me back to the castle" She blunted out cutting him up. "I don't want to go back"

He looked down to where their hands joined. "Of course you do, you'll only be happy back there… I mean, look at how happy you were when your friends showed up. You'll never be content in Canada, it's for the best"

"I was happy because I missed them and it was good to see them, but if I were to be sent back I'll be unhappy because I wouldn't have you. I… I want to stay with you because I love you" The words slipped out of her lips effortlessly.

He looked up to her, his eyes holding something she didn't quite know, she kept on rambling. "I know you only want me out of necessity, but I don't care. I can help you with Shane, if you send him back instead I know he'll do fine, he's not a bad man and if I talk some sense into him he'll listen. We can stick to the first Treaty, the one Lance made…"

"Steph…" he tried to say something but she was wrapped up in her monologue.

"And now that Hunter's gone and my father is willing to make peace we can work things out, Punk told me so… I can speak with the Council and maybe…"

"Stephanie, listen to me" He said with a severe tone and she had no choice but to shut her mouth and swallow her words.

That was it, he was going to tell her off. He didn't want her to stay with him, in fact he was glad to get rid of her and they were going to be over before they really started. She would have no choice but to leave her heart in Canada and go back to the castle to live a lonely live with her three… no two M's along with her parents. She didn't want that life.

She took a deep breath, trying to prepare her heart for the blow that was to come. Somehow she knew this was going to hurt even worse than the arrow had.

"When you were gone we thought you had escaped to join forces with Hunter. We were not informed of Hunter's plans or of Maryse betrayal and I just thought you went to him on your own. I still believed that until a few hours ago…"

"It wasn't like that, I didn't…"

"Let me finish. I blamed you for Lance's death and I wanted to hate you for it, I even thought I did. But when I saw get hit and go down it all flew away. It was not long after that that Batista told us what really happened"

"Batista?" She asked perplexed.

"Yeah, he's been on our side for a while. How do you think we got Trish back?"

Stephanie thought about it and it made sense.

"What I'm trying to say here is that I don't want to send you back either. I don't know how it happened or when but I love you too princess, somewhere along the way…"

She didn't thought about it, she just acted on it. Even when it pained her to do so she sprung towards him and kissed him. He kissed her back but pulled away after a short while to look down to her throbbing wound.

"You are bleeding" He said looking back into her eyes. He was worried. "We should change that bandage"

"Let's worry about that later" She really didn't care. Earlier that day she had thought that she had never been happier than when the three M's sat with her in that same bed, she had been wrong.

He loved her and that was the only thing that mattered now, that they loved each other and that there was no reason for them to be apart.

But then she remembered an important factor. "What about Shane?" She asked drawing back. She knew her brother could determinate her fate, but she also knew that without Hunter whispering in his ear he would never strike an attack on the Canadians, not if she was with them.

"I don't know, we'll send him back with a warning" He leaned back into her until their foreheads touched, his blue eyes glued to hers. "Well figure about that later" He smiled against her lips and brushed her hair behind her ear. "Marry me"

A smile broke to her lips as well. "I think we already did that"

"Yeah?" He said before pressing his lips back to hers, this time they dwelled on it longer, deeper. Showing without words the love they had professed to each other mere moments ago.

Looking back on it, who would have said that she, Princess Stephanie McMahon, daughter to what had once been the most powerful King in all the Seven Kingdoms and beyond, would end up falling in love with a Savage. She never would have given it a second though back a month ago when she had first laid her eyes on him.

Since then so much had changed, she had changed. The world would never look the same to her eyes, everything was different. Too much had been lost, too many lives taken away and many left broken; but then again there was still so much more to gain. The future could be promising and who knew, maybe after all she would get her happily ever after.

~*FIN*~


	18. Chapter 18

OK! This story was as good as finished but after a few suggestions and some menaces, I got convinced of writing more of it. I wasn't going to do it but I'm easily persuaded, so Kyara, Luanne, Laura and everyone who enjoyed this fic the first time around, I hope it doesn't disappoint…

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Taking a deep breath that sent a dull pang of pain to her right side, Stephanie allowed the different scents that danced all over the open field to invade her senses. Those she was taking in were the smells of freedom, of wild flowers and moist grass and everything she had thought lost. Those were the smells she wanted impregnated on her skin as they were now in her soul; and as she was taken once again into that land she had once upon a time dreaded, she made sure to enjoy all of them.

She wanted to take it all into her memory, to take the images, the smells and everything that marked that moment so that she could forever remember it.

So with that thought in her mind, the young woman that was long ago a princess among her people threw her head back, she threw it back until it collided against the man behind her and only then she remained still.

Chris… he was the sensation her body craved the most, and as her back molded to his torso and her head rested against his shoulder, she closed her eyes and got lost in the moment.

"Are you feeling alright?" His voice caressed her check and she tried to get even closer to him… to feel more than his warm breath on her skin.

She wanted it all.

"I am" She responded in a low whisper, even when physically she wasn't feeling her best. Her wound was throbbing as the horse moved onward and she was beyond cold. But that was secondary; what was a bit of discomfort to a jolly heart?

Not satisfied with her response and perhaps feeling her slightly trembling, Chris wrapped tighter and around her the thick coat that was supposed to guard her from the bitter cold, through that same fabric he rubbed the length of her arms, the friction warming her some.

With a smile touching her lips, Stephanie opened her eyes, wanting to see through the curtain of rain the scenario in front of them. It felt like Déjà vu, she and her favorite savage sharing one horse, the sky broken and sending rain their way as they approached his ever imposing Canada…

In some odd way it felt the same, but so much had changed since that first time, she had changed.

"This feels like a fairy tale turned into a macabre dream. I mean I can see Canada from here, but as we ride on the farthest I see it… maybe I shouldn't have so much to drink"

Stephanie felt rather that heard Chris chuckle, his body rocking slightly against hers as his horse carried them on in a slow but steady pace.

"You would have drank even more if you knew Trish was going to be waiting for you midway"

"What?" Came the strangled voice of Chris' country man and fellow Council member.

Stephanie turned her head a bit to the side and saw the pale face of Christian looking into the distance, his eyes were half closed as he strained to see the way ahead of him.

He didn't seem alright, through his damp clothes she could spot his wounds as they were bleeding again; his face was the color of ash and if Chris had adopted a slow pace for her sake, Christian was even slower.

She couldn't comprehend how he was riding in the first place; his condition was not the best.

Before chaos broke loose and all went to hell in that village, Christian was probably the only member of the High Five she hadn't gotten to know well, but when both of them got injured in the same battle and nursed in the same place, she had gotten to know him a little bit more.

She liked him just fine, he acted a bit odd at times and more often than not wandered off in his speech, but overall he seemed like a nice man and Chris seemed to be fond of him as well.

The day they got wounded was two days past and after all was cleared up and the euphoria of the battle dwindled down, the two of them were left behind while everyone else went back to Canada. Only herself, Christian and Chris remained behind and now they were making their way to Canada as well.

"I can't see her, does she look mad?" Christian asked.

"She does my friend; maybe she'll finish you up for good"

Stephanie looked ahead, there was indeed someone riding their way. She couldn't see who it was until she was close enough for her to see her clearly, and when they were at reaching distance Trish dismounted and walked his way.

Stephanie couldn't say she looked mad and she could assure without a doubt that the last thing in the other woman's mind was to finish Christian off.

"Trish" Christian whimpered as the petit blonde walked towards him. He dismounted as well, emitting a few grunts while doing so. "I got wounded, don't be mad" He finally said, his tone apologetically and worn out.

Stephanie watched as the two blondes reunited, Christian apologizing for some reason as Trish threw herself at him. The act seemed to provoke pain in the man but he didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her and when Trish kissed him he kissed her back.

"Well… she doesn't look mad to me. Come on, let's leave these two lovebirds and get going" Chris said and Stephanie smiled faintly.

No, Trish didn't seem mad at all and why would she? They way she talked about Christian spoke volumes of what she felt about him and she hoped that they could achieve some kind of normalcy in their relationship, if someone deserved her happy ending it was Trish.

That way, leaving Christian and Trish behind so they could write their own story, Chris and Stephanie kept moving along under the chastising rain, getting closer and closer to the place she thought she was never going to see again.

"You are quiet" Stephanie said after some time, breaking the silence that ruled over them.

"I have my mind going through some things"

"Bad things?"

He took a deep breath before leaning forward to kiss her check. "I hope not"

Stephanie didn't push the matter and rejoiced in the mere fact that they were there, together at last. With Hunter gone and the menace of the Kingdom out of the picture there was nothing to keep them apart now.

Now was her time, the conclusion of a story that began all kinds of wrong and which effects were still affecting them. But none of that mattered; only the ones lost and for that she was deeply sorry.

After some time of traveling under the rain, they finally arrived to Canada. It was a cold morning and the streets of that great city were deserted; only Rey guarded the gates and he himself took care of the horse.

Dismounting caused a bolt of pain to run all over her body, starting at her wound and shooting in all directions; but now that she was back to her wobbly feet she held onto Chris and together they made it to his place, their place.

"Look at you, you look like a soaked trembling chicken" Chris said taking off her the coat once they were in the solitude of the house.

"Why thank you" She responded, trying to control her trembling, not because of what he said, but because the jerky movements were bothering her wound.

It seemed like the effect of Jeff's healing concoction were already wearing off.

But again, that was secondary in her mind and when he attempted to check the reminder of Hunter's wicked antics, she took his hands away and darted forward to kiss him on the lips.

He responded to her, his hand moving all the way up until it rested against her cheek, his thumb caressing her skin as the kiss grew more intimate.

This is what she had missed the most, his touch, his lips… all those nights were nothing else mattered but them.

"Stephanie… I need to check that wound" He mumbled against her lips, his own lips curving into a smile as his hand moved to the back of her head.

"It's still there" She responded as she closed her eyes, a smile in her face and her hands resting over his chest.

This was something they didn't have before, they had their fair share of nights together where inhibitions were forgotten, but other that raspy moans and words tore in the brink of passion they were silent nights.

Who would have thought back in that day when she lay eyes on him for the first time that they were going to end like they did, their destiny intertwined in such a way that she rather stay in that far away country with him that go back to the comforts of the castle.

It didn't surprise her, she was not the same Stephanie that ran into the forest that faithful day so long ago… in her past life.

"I know it's still there, I just need to make sure it's not infected before I go"

Her eyes flew open and she found his blue eyes staring deep into hers. "Go? Where are you going?" The last time he went away things didn't go well…

Without taking his eyes away from hers and with his other arm circling her waist, Chris ran his fingers through her hair. "I need to resolve some issues with the Council…"

"Can't it wait, you just got back" She said, trying to hide the desperation in her voice because she really didn't want him to go.

"This can't wait" He said and before she could reply he lifted her shirt and checked her.

Stephanie watched him in silence, her eyes blinking and her mind racing as he went with his inspection. What was so important that it couldn't wait?

They were finally here, together and now he was leaving to go to the Council? She knew that as a member of the High Five he had lots of responsibilities, but all she wanted was for him to stay with her for a while…

"You are not bleeding and it doesn't seem infected, but it's still fresh and I imagine it still hurts. I'll send Lita to keep you company… or do you want your friends instead?"

She would rather have him, but did it matter? "Is it really important what you have to do at the Council?"

He looked back at her and cupped her face in his hands. "It is important and I don't want to postpone it"

"It is about the war?"

"It's about you, about you staying here and what we'll do with your brother. Last time the plan was to send you back and keep him here… you know I don't have a final say in such matters and I want to propose a change of plans"

Stephanie bit on her lips and closed her eyes. "What if they don't want to change it?" She hadn't thought about that, for her it was a matter that she wanted to stay and he didn't want to send her away… for a moment she had forgotten that things didn't work like that, not when it came to her.

That's why her father was King, what he wanted was what everyone would do, he didn't have to rely on others.

But she knew her father, as great as he was made a few bad choices that cost the Kingdom dearly, both his heirs were caught by his sworn enemies, his manpower was defeated and scattered all over the place and his Kingdom was reduced to a half of what it once was…

That was without mentioning that his daughter wanted to spend her days with a man he thought a savage without the intention of going back home.

"That's why I need to go there, Stephanie"

"I don't want to go back" She said and as she finished talking he kissed her lips lightly.

"Then wait for me here. I'll send your friends, take a warm bath, rest and eat something. I'll be back before you know it"

She tried to smile but it came out as a pout. She didn't want him to go, but most of all she didn't want to go…

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

Thanks for the reviews. Good to know that after so long people still remember and like this xD

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Stephanie sat at the edge of the bed; the effects of the new concoction she just consumed blurring her senses and the delicate way Melina was brushing her hair lulling her hectic mind into a more tranquil state.

She felt as if she was floating instead of sitting; the voice of Mickie relating excitedly about their journey out of the castle mingling with the memories of her own journey… But even when she felt a little bit off, she could at least take comfort in the fact that the pain of her wound had subsided into a slight throb.

It didn't hurt… the remainder of what could have happened in that village was now just a nuisance that prevented her to move at will.

But even though that magical liquid relaxed her ail and half her senses, her mind was still clear enough to wonder; she was eager for Chris to come back to the house with a definite response. Was she going back to the castle or was she staying in Canada with him?

She wanted to stay and that made the wait seem longer. It felt as if he has been gone for an eternity and to make matters worse there was no sign of him coming back any time soon…

Her mind couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing. For all she knew the Council was now deciding the matter of when and how she was going to be send off…

"… and Canada is so big and splendid! Nothing like the books at the castle depicts. Do you think teacher Kane knows about this? He needs to change those books… and by the Gods, can you believe Trish recognized me? She's so pretty… that one called Christian is very lucky… she is too, he's so handsome! Oh and your Lord husband! I can't believe you married a Canadian, and what a Canadian"

"Mickie" Melina called in a soft whisper and Stephanie couldn't help but to smile; Mickie just beamed.

The Ms hadn't changed much and she was glad that at least something remained the same in a changing reality where nothing was what it seemed… she was sure the Gods had sent them from a world far away to be her constants.

If only Maria could be there as well. She was going to miss her and her innocent ways… but must like she wanted to do, the young redhead found a different path that would hopefully lead her to happiness, she was trusting Punk in that one.

Mickie stopped her walking all over the room and knelt in front of Stephanie. "Princess, can we stay in Canada, please. I want to become a warrior"

Stephanie blinked slowly and looked down at the woman who was staring back at her with eyes huge as plates. "A warrior Mickie James? Where did you get that idea from?"

"On our way from that village to Canada, Melina and I counted three women who fought in the battle. I want to be like them"

Stephanie shook her head in a combination of amusement and bewilderment but intending to give no hard time to the woman and whichever path she wanted to follow. Canada was a strange land that offered so many possibilities… if Mickie's desire was to become a warrior she had no way to stop her. None of the M's lives were hers to command, those days were over.

Everything was different in Canada.

She extended her hand and with one lone finger she tapped lightly at the brunette's nose. "If we stay in Canada you can do whatever you want to do, be a warrior, marry whoever you want to marry…"

"Melina too?" Mickie asked in a high pitched voice and remained with her mouth hanging open until Stephanie spoke.

"Melina too"

Mickie clapped her hands and laughed, but then her mood went sour and her laughter died with a shrug. "I'm not going to marry; the Gods have doomed me to remain forever alone in a world where everyone has someone to love" she added dramatically.

Stephanie stared at Mickie… if her M was doomed not to find love then what was she? She did find it but was on the verge of being sent away from it…

"You won't get married, but that doesn't mean you won't find love Mickie James. You will live a pleasant life and when the Gods claim your soul you will go content" Melina said, putting the hairbrush down and getting up to her feet.

Mickie gasped as her eyes followed Melina's movements to the door of the room. "I'll find love? When is that? Will I still become a warrior, is that how I'll meet him? What if I already met him?"

The black haired woman smiled softly, and while she did so Stephanie opened her mouth to ask if she was going to stay in Canada. Melina had an eerie way to know things and she really needed to know this one. But before she could begin to form the words, she heard the front door opening and she was immediately at a loss for words.

"Come on Mickie, our time here is up"

Stephanie took a deep breath that was supposed to calm her apprehension and before Mickie could even get to her feet Chris was already at the door of the room.

The numbness she was feeling disappeared when her eyes found his, the intensity of that blue stare only for her… "I'm going to wash" He said, his tone calm and even as he turned around and walked into the washroom.

Mickie sighed dreamily and only when Melina grabbed her by the arm to drag her out she came back to her. The two of them walked out and the Princess knew that the least she could do was show them out of the house. But even if her wound would allow her to, she would still be too preoccupied with Chris and what he had accomplished at the Council.

With a lot of care as to not hurt herself, Stephanie got up and with her left hand she pulled the robe that covered her frame tighter. While Chris was at the Council the Ms had prepared for her a warm scented bath and after finally emerging from it she found herself feeling better but too worn out to dress properly.

Not that it mattered; the only thing that mattered was Chris and whichever news he carried.

She took a few steps away from the bed and bit at her lower lip. What if she had to go back? She had pleaded to the Gods to take her back to the castle so many times that they might have listened… if that was the case her destiny was chosen.

Taking a deep breath, she made the rest of the way to the washroom and rested the palm of her hand against the wooden door that separated her from the man inside. Her intention was to push it and go in, but for some reason she took her hand away and did nothing.

Why was everything so complicated? Her life used to be so easy…

After standing there for some time in which she could neither go into the room nor go back the way she came, the door finally slid open and she was met once again with the imposing figure of Chris.

"What did they say?"

He quirked his lips and looked down at her, focusing his eyes on hers. His hair was damp and his torso naked, a scent of freshness clinging on to him and invading her almost dormant senses. "And why are you out of bed?"

"I wanted to ask you about the meeting…" She whispered, the two of them still standing under the frame of the door.

His cobalt blue eyes moved away from her own eyes and lowered to her robe. "You should stay in bed until you heal" He said, his fingers moving to open the thin fabric that covered her frame so he could once again inspect her wound.

It was covered, after her bath Melina put some anointments over it and covered it; that combined with the concoction she drank was minimizing her pain. She didn't need to be in bed.

"What did they say?" She asked again while looking at him, feeling very conscious that her robe was still open and his eyes were on her.

"Nothing. I need Christian and Trish to be at the table before this could be voted on and they were not; the motion is there, we just need to wait"

Stephanie took a deep breath. Christian and Trish… she was not so naïve, if there was someone who would object on letting Shane go were the two of them. It was not like she blamed them, after all Shane and his actions caused a lot of damage to Trish and consequentially to Christian.

Then there was Edge, Christian's brother and Nattie… she didn't see good things coming out of it.

They we going to vote against it, and as leaders to a country she could see their reasons, but she didn't care about politics or game of thrones and such nonsense; her mind was clouded and biased for Chris, she only wanted to be with him.

She took the remaining steps that kept her away from him and leaned against him; resting her forehead on his chest.

He responded by wrapping his arms around her and burying his nose into her hair, bringing her as close as he could get her. "Don't worry about that now; the only thing you should worry is to get that wound healed"

Stephanie lifted her head slightly and kissed his chest; then she slowly dragged her lips up to his collar bone and finally to the tender spot of his throat.

"Stephanie… the wound"

She didn't care about the wound so she allowed her fingers to run smoothly over the naked flesh of his stomach and sides while her lips took a new journey into his mouth, finding it welcoming and pleasant.

He kissed her back, his hands cradling her head as the meeting of lips turned into something more intimate and deeper, the contact of flesh against flesh adding to the sensation.

Back at the village she thought she was never going to indulge into such amazing pleasures as having him so near, kissing her as their bodies molded together. Now she had him back but there was a possibility that it might be momentarily…

That only made her want to cling to him as long as she could.

But way before things could escalate in intensity Chris pulled away and chuckled. "Steph, I'm serious. I don't want to hurt you"

"You will not hurt me"

"Let's just…" He took her hand and guided her to the bed, making her get on it. She did, watching as he climbed as well, positioning himself at her side.

For a brief moment she thought he was going to kiss her and maybe do more than that, but he just lay on his side and caressed her hip absentmindedly as his eyes fixed on hers.

"Will we remain married even if I have to go?" She asked taking his hand in hers. She lifted it up and studied it. "I mean, we married in front of your God and back at the castle we have like seven. What if my Gods don't acknowledge it?"

Chris brought their hands to his lips and kissed hers. "No matter where you are and what Gods you stand in front of, you will be mine for all eternity"

Stephanie wrinkled her nose and chewed her lower lip. "Even if I cross the sea and go into unknown lands far, far away?"

Chris snorted, his fingers tracing lazy circles over her skin. "Even if you find a way to travel all the way to the moon"

Stephanie blinked and considered things. "Then we should do that, let's get out of here and go far away where there is no Shane and no Kingdom to worry about…"

"Now you are being silly. I have my duties here and you have yours, we can't run from those. Besides, there's no need for that, things will go our way here… there is that and there the fact that and I don't think you could handle being away from your comforts and your scented baths…" As if to prove his point he leaned into her and inhaled her scent.

"I can, you dragged me out of the comforts of my castle to bring me here and I survived just fine"

"Yes, and we both know how well you liked it"

Stephanie smiled and looked at him, getting lost in his blue depths as he stared back at her. Her journey to Canada hadn't being her most pleasant experience, but it lead her to that particular moment and she would do it again if it granted her he was going to be with her.

"I was terrified of you…" She confessed. "I feared you would do something very horrible to me and at the same time I felt drawn to you…"

"That's part of my charm"

"I don't want to go" She breathed out as she snuggled against him. "Not without you"

Chris kissed her forehead and sighed. "We'll figure this out, we just have to wait…"

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

This is a short, short update but I hope you like anyway. Sorry for taking so long, thanks for the reviews and let me know what you think, I'll appreciate it xD

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It has been decided; after pondering about it and scrutinizing the possible consequences that her acts may ensue, the young woman who in a past life has been the Princess to the greatest Kingdom that there was came to the conclusion that she was not going to give another day to idleness and endless waiting.

She had wasted more than a few days doing nothing but waiting her faith to be decided and she couldn't take it any longer.

She may no longer be a Princess in that far away land, but she was still her father's daughter and she refused to sit around while there were many things to do…

Things that she could do to help her situation.

Aye, her Lord husband told her to wait and leave everything for him to resolve, but as days kept passing by and there was no response she decided to act on her own.

She had thought about it, going over it while in the solitude of her chambers, thinking about it when he was away to his duties and the only company she had were her incessant thoughts; and sometimes, when she had the company of her two Ms she thought about it too, her mind wandering away…

Now it was her time to act.

After waking up to an empty bed, Stephanie deemed the time to be right. She dressed in her best, preparing herself the way she did when she was at her father's castle. She wanted to look like a Princess, something she forgot how to be but knowing full well that the presence she could pull off.

So she bathed in scented waters to relax, she combed her hair to perfection and once she was dressed, ready and satisfied with the results in the mirror glass she ventured outside her home.

The house she now shared with Chris was not far from the historic Council building but she hurried her steps anyway. She didn't want to get interrupted and she didn't want to encounter someone in her way that could reduce her resolution into nothing.

If she didn't act now she may never get the courage again.

So she walked not looking and hoping not to be looked upon, by the time she finally made it to the building her heart was racing rapidly inside her chest and she had to take a deep calming breath to get it back to normal.

'_I'm a McMahon and McMahons don't fear'_ She recited in her mind as she closed the distance between herself and the door that lead to the room she dreaded and at the same time wanted to get in so much.

Time was dragging and she felt like she was being held on, making her progress even more slowly, but she still kept on.

There was no one guarding the door and after taking another deep breath she took the liberty of opening that huge barrier that kept her away from her future and enter.

The High Five's room… It wasn't the first time she found herself in that room but it was the first time the whole Council was reunited there. She could see them all, sitting around their table and looking at her, probably thinking why she was there…

It only took her one brief look to memorize the order they were sitting. The circle started with Nattie and continued with a much better looking Christian, then Trish, Chris and Edge…

She bowed lightly, a courtesy that she didn't have to make but that gave her some time to get her courage back. She had thought about what to say but now that she was there and they were all looking and waiting, she was at a loss for words.

"Sweet Princess Stephanie, I see you are recuperating well of your wounds… so what brings you here?"

That was Edge, she could recognize all their voices without having to see their faces… she could also feel the weight of Chris's stare heavy on her… it almost made her choke with her untold words.

But she didn't, she lifted her head and because Edge has been the one to ask she fixed her gaze on him. He called her Princess and she wanted to act like it, after all that was what she was… or has been before they took her into this new life.

"I wish to be allowed to see my brother; I came here to put a request for it" Her voice came even and she was proud that it didn't crack.

Aye, if she wanted to stay in Canada she needed first to convince Shane of parting his way with the country in good terms, she knew the Council wouldn't let him go as long as they considered him a threat and if there was someone who could talk some sense into him that was her.

After all he was her brother, she had known him all her life and she knew how to appeal to him. He was not a bad man and if she was to stay in Canada he wouldn't prepare retaliation. There was also a big part of her that just wanted to see him, to talk to him and kiss him and make sure that he was alright.

So that was her plan, talk with Shane and then appeal to the Council, stating why she should stay and why should Shane go, just like in the first Treaty…

"The Prince is a prisoner of Canada; he is not to receive visits"

Stephanie slowly moved her eyes to the one who just talked to her. If it has been any other member of the Council she would have replied with anything that could make them cede, she had thought about all the possible sceneries and them refusing was one of them…

But the one who spoke was Chris and that took her a little bit aback, after all the principal reason she was requesting to see her brother was because she wanted to stay in Canada with him.

She could tell him that, but the way he was just sitting there, expressionless and looking back to her with those cold blues of his make her desist.

She didn't get why he would refuse her…

"We'll consider your request" Trish said and with the same expression Chris was looking at her she looked at the blonde woman.

"Thank you" With that she turned around and as if in a trance she walked out.

She walked the same way she came, gracefully like only one of her lineage could; but this time the sun felt too bright into her eyes, the ongoing noises to loud to her ears and it was suddenly too much. All she wanted to do was to go back to the house and lay in bed.

Perhaps that would be the only way to calm the sea of emotions boiling deep within her being. She was mad because she did so much planning for nothing; she was sad because she didn't get to see Shane and there was a dull feeling of devastation eating her entrails after Chris refused her request without even considering it.

It made her want to tear up and cry her way to the house.

Sucking in a breath she wiped at her eyes. She was not going to cry in public, there would be time for that once in the solitude of her room. Then by the time Chris returned she would be calmed down.

"Stephanie"

She heard the voice and almost froze, but then she kept onward, wanting him to disappear. Maybe if she made it to the house Mickie and Melina were staying… maybe Lita's.

"Stephanie"

She felt him grab her arm to make her turn and she took yet another deep breath when facing him.

"What the hell was that?" He asked in a hiss, his eyes digging into hers.

"I don't want to talk about it here" She responded coldly. In fact, she didn't want to talk about it in that moment.

She needed time to think and to cope with it all.

Without speaking, he guided her into his house and once they were both inside and the door was closed to the world he asked again. "Why did you do that?"

Stephanie lifted her chin, her emotions controlled. "I told the Council already, I wanted to see Shane so if you are not giving me a response to my request I don't want to talk about it" Her voice cracked a little and she made up for that by sending him a defying look.

"Your brother is not in a hostel Stephanie, you can't just…"

"I know that! I know he's a prisoner and I know I have no rights here… you know, it looks to me like he is not the only prisoner here!"

At that Chris' expression became somber, Stephanie noticed but she kept going just the same. She was frustrated she was upset and he didn't gave her time to arrange all those emotions.

"You brought me here by force and I still did everything your Council wanted, I signed all the papers you gave me to sign, I accepted everything you threw my way and all for what Chris? So I could be denied one simple request?" She wiped at her eyes again, this time finding wetness in her face.

She hadn't wanted to cry…

"You are not a prisoner here. You can walk away anytime you want to"

She shook her head. She didn't want to walk out, that was the last thing she wanted. She wanted to stay and what she did was in hopes that she could stay with him… she was going to tell him that but when she willed her lips to speak he was already gone…

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

MonkeysUncle, Dodjet and DarkZoul. Thank you guys SO much for sticking to this story, I hope you enjoyed the ride and once again, thank you xD

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Waiting, that black and narrow isthmus between two eternities…

Stephanie has been forced to wait in solitude that day, and while she waited in the seclusion of her rooms time flowed slowly, cruelly stretching itself to limits beyond her comprehension until she started to believe that all her waiting was a method of punishment inflicted by her half forgotten Gods.

She must have displeased them when she walked away from them and embraced the ways of the Canadians, that they were punishing her now by distorting the flow of time was only the repercussions they had deemed proper to her infidel actions.

But she didn't care about those punishing Gods thousands of leagues away; by marrying in front of the strange God that ruled Canada her old ones had lost the authority over her. Now she only cared for one thing and that thing was for Chris to come back to her.

She has been waiting for him since the moment he closed the door behind his back and walked away; creating an enormous barrier between the two that to that moment hasn't been broken yet.

It was all wrong; this was not the way she wanted things between them to turn into. But it did, he walked out on her, leaving her behind with a thousand words stuck in her throat and a stormy sea menacing to flow through her eyes.

From the moment the sound of the closing door resonated through the room time began to consume itself slowly, making her minutes feel excruciatingly long and her hours eternal. Unfortunately, from what she could see her wait was not over yet.

While she drowned in her regrets the sun moved east to west and it was by now resting behind the mountains, darkness has taken over the land and because her never ending waiting had been slowly starting to drive her mad she decided to walk out as well in need of fresh air.

Now she sat outside, right in front of the elaborated fountain that rose in the middle of the plaza, the soft breeze of the night caressing her skin wildly as she stole glances towards the house, hoping to catch a glimpse of him going back.

"Don't worry yourself, you are going to get ill for nothing, he's going to be back"

Stephanie drew in a deep breath that a second later escaped though her lips and looked at the woman sitting by her side.

Her idea of walking out of the room has been to breathe fresh air, to put some kind of order to her thoughts in a scenario where the walls wouldn't close around her. But then Lita spotted her and walked to her, she had ended up telling her everything that went wrong that day.

"What if he doesn't?" She had thought about it, what if he was so mad at her that he was by now planning her journey back to the Castle. They could send her away at any time…

Lita shook her head. "He will, I mean he has to come back to sleep at some point doesn't he?" The redhead smiled and turned to her side so that she could face Stephanie. "You know, I'll tell you something your wet nurse never told you; men are the simplest creatures that walk in two feet, you only need to be around them for a short while to figure them out, and when you can compare you realize they all go after the same standard; they all want to be in charge of everything, they like to be the ones in control… so it's no wonder Chris got mad when you walked into that building without his knowledge"

Stephanie turned to her side as well so that she could look at the other woman's face. "I didn't want him to get mad, I just wanted to help"

"I know, but he won't see it that way so don't you tell him what you wanted to achieve by seeing your brother; he will see it as you not having faith in him and that will do no good to his ego. Now, you don't need to worry because as easy as it is figuring them out, it's easier to get them back in good graces with you"

Stephanie shifted her position in anticipation; she wanted to get back in good graces with Chris. The mere thought of him being mad at her upset her, it made her mind race in a dozen directions and none of them were favorable for her.

"What should I do?"

"Alright" Lita said cheerfully. "You are one foot in the right direction because you have that man enchanted. Ever since I saw the two of you enter the Ho Train I could tell that he fancied you, I mean I've known him for a long time and like I told you, men are easy to figure out. That was a good start for you and since you already bedded him I'll go straight to the point with this, you only need to do one little thing that will make him go softheaded for you and forget about everything…"

"Ladies" Stephanie's eyes moved away from the redhead and directly to the blonde man that just sat behind her. He had a huge grin on his face as he wrapped his arms around Lita. "What a wonderful night to encounter two of Canada's finest here"

"Edge, neither of us is from Canada" Lita said rolling her eyes.

"Then more power to you" Edge responded as he sent a sly smile to Stephanie.

Lita sighed and rested her head against the man's shoulder, lifting an eyebrow as she stared off into the distance.

Stephanie would never understand what kind of relationship Lita and Edge had; at times it seemed like she wanted nothing to do with him and he was always sweet talking every women he encountered, but then everybody in Canada knew or at least commented that Lita was Edge's woman… Stephanie wasn't sure and she had never dared to ask, whatever it was between them it seemed to work for them just fine.

"We were talking about Chris and how he is mad at Stephanie"

Edge snorted, his wild green eyes finding Stephanie's. "Mad… ha, I find that hard to believe Princess"

Stephanie looked from the man to Lita because she really didn't want to talk about Chris with Edge, and it was not only because he was friends with the man but because to that day Edge still unnerved her a bit…

It was not in a way were she believed he was going to harm her or something of the like, but just as it happened with Nattie, she always though the man to be to bold in his manners.

"Stephanie is worried because you and the rest of The Council could be sending her back to the castle, you wouldn't do that right?"

"Ah, to tell you the truth I'm not the one to say, now that Lance is gone I leave all the Diplomatic ways of the Council to Trish. She has a better head for those things and I go for whatever she says"

"Right… what about Chris? I bet he is pulling a word for Stephanie to stay…" Lita said and winked to Stephanie.

"You are asking tons today woman! Why don't you go and ask Chris?"

"Because we don't know where he is you silly" Lita replied as she turned to look at Edge. The blonde took the opportunity and kissed Lita's nose.

"Why, he's at his house. I was with him and Nattie checking on some villages and when we came back he and Nattie said they were going home. Of course, they were not going together because they don't live together. Chris lives with Stephanie and Nattie with T.J. and that made me wonder, why doesn't Lita live with me?"

"He's back at his home?"

"Were you listening to what I just said?" Edge asked with a frown.

Lita replied something to the Canadian but Stephanie didn't put much attention to it; she just excused herself and walked away and towards the house. According to Edge her husband was back and she needed to make sure he really was… she had wanted to be there when he came back.

The walk was short and in no time she was already there, opening the door and searching for him. She found him at his desk and as soon as she laid eyes on him her heart went back to normal… she hadn't even noticed how out of control it really was.

She stood at the doorframe, observing him rummage through some papers.

As if sensing her silent presence in the room his eyes moved to her. He was still wearing his somber mask and she found his eyes on her to be strange and distant. "I thought you were already gone"

Stephanie looked away from him and down to the floor. Was that what he wanted, for her to be out of his house?"

She wasn't sure, the night before everything was perfect between them so it didn't make sense that now he wanted her out; she was trying to be reasonable by thinking that but it was hard, that he didn't want her there was her biggest fear and she would do anything so he wouldn't think that way.

Without thinking it two times she went to him and knelt in front of him. "I'm sorry" She whispered closing her eyes and resting her head on his lap.

"Steph what are you doing, get up" He replied taking her by the arms and pulling her up. He got to his feet as well without letting go of her arms.

In a second she forgot everything Lita told her and started to talk. "I just wanted to help; I thought that if I spoke to Shane and convinced him to go to the Castle in peace that I would have more chances to stay here with you…"

"Steph…" Chris closed his eyes and moved his hands lower, taking her hands in his and giving her a squeeze. "I told you to leave everything to me"

"I know and I'm sorry. I didn't want you to get mad at me" Stephanie closed her eyes as well and rested her forehead against Chris', she wasn't good at apologies because she had never needed to make one, she just hoped to be doing alright because she really meant it.

She took in a deep breath as his hands let go of hers to circle her waist, bringing her closer to him.

"Are you still mad at me?" She mumbled, her own hands moving to rest on his chest.

"I'm not mad at you… I mean I was because for the love of God Stephanie, you know that if you want anything you just need to tell me, you have no need to go to the Council to ask"

"I wanted to do things right"

"Bugger that, I'm your husband and whatever you need or want I'll take care of it"

Stephanie smiled… maybe Lita was right about men wanting to be in control. She didn't mind, not as long as that man was Chris. "I love you" She said as she opened her eyes.

Chris's face softened with a smile of his own as he fixed his eyes on hers. "Does that mean you don't want to leave?"

"Of course I don't… you know that" She responded as she took in the scent of him… how could she want to let go of him?

He shrugged. "I don't know, the castle is your home and we took you away from there to bring you here, we captured your brother, forced you to marry me and when I think back to all that I wonder why would you really want to stay here"

"I told you… I want to stay because I love you, I want to stay with you and if you send me away I would take you with me"

Chris chuckled. "I don't think your father would like that, if he ever sees me again he would make sure to have my head on a spike"

"Then we need to stay here" Stephanie responded before kissing Chris briefly.

"Good… that you want to stay makes it easier for me because I spent a lot of time palavering with Trish about this. We still need to make a few arrangements and figure some things out but as long as you want to you are staying here"

Stephanie parted her lips and gasped. "Are you serious?"

"Didn't I tell you to leave everything to me" As Chris' words floated out of his lips Stephanie moved her arms to his neck and hugged him closer.

She didn't have many words to say, all that was on her mind was that she was staying, she was staying with him.

At that moment she didn't care about Thrones, brothers and far away Kingdoms. She was staying; he wanted her there, with him.

"I'm glad you like that…" He whispered tilting his head to the side, forcing her to pull away from the hug so his lips could take hers in a kiss.

When their lips finally met she kissed him back, granting him entrance so he could kiss her like she wanted to be kissed.

The moment demanded it; she wanted a kiss that would make her go weak on the knees, a kiss that would steal her every breath away and that was exactly what she got. He kissed her deep and long, his body pushing against hers until she was trapped between him and the desk.

But then he pulled away, leaving her lips missing him madly. She could protest but his eyes told him not to, he was going to continue with the kiss alright, his blue orbs held that promise.

Without taking his eyes away from hers he ran his finger up her spine, his lips inches away from kissing her once again.

"I love you Princess"

Stephanie closed her eyes, feeling his lips take possession of hers once again…

All was fine now, it was fine not only because she was staying but because he loved her, destiny had forged their ways together, going from a savage chasing a Princess through a forest to two entities in love. It was their task now to make the better of it.

So aye, her mind knew all was going to be perfect just as she had the love of her favorite savage…

~*FIN*

*Charles Caleb Colton was quoted in this chapter, don't sue me!!

*Ended it before I wanted to but I'm so busy and I don't want to leave it unfinished ;(


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